Say Goodnight and Go
by Lemur76
Summary: Hermione and Draco end up at the same university together. He blackmails her into studying with him, to get the grades he needs to graduate. But, is that the only reason he wants to study with her? AU after HalfBlood Prince.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hermione or Draco. They are creations of J.K. Rowling and I am merely borrowing for a bit. I will give them back to her.

**Author's Note**: This fic was inspired by Imogen Heap's song, _Say Goodnight and Go_. Hence the title. It is NOT a song fic. Hope you enjoy….

Hermione couldn't believe what she was seeing with her own eyes. She blinked once, thinking that the image might waver and disappear. Her mouth hung open slightly and she snapped it shut when she realized that people had begun to stare, at her. Her lips twisted into a grimace. She couldn't believe it.

Draco Malfoy was enrolled in The Healer's Institute. How the overgrown prat had managed to follow her here was a mystery. Had his grades at Hogwarts really been good enough to attend, or had his Daddy paid his way into the prestigious institution? She stared at her quill; she had it twisted it into a feathery mess. Sighing, she threw down her writing instrument, ran a delicate hand through her curly mane, and stared once again at her former schoolmate.

Any boy who looked that handsome ought to be fined, she decided.

"I agree," said a voice from the other side of her.

Hermione jumped in her seat. She forgot that her new roommate Selena was sitting next to her. They had just met two days ago when they moved into a dorm room together. It was orientation day, and it was seven o'clock in the morning. Hermione was never at her best early in the morning.

Selena seemed unfazed by Hermione's edginess. "He is definitely worth drooling over."

Hermione wiped her mouth quickly, embarrassed that she found just a little bit of saliva at the corner of her lips. Selena grinned and flipped her long, sleek black hair over her shoulder. Her green eyes twinkled and she smirked, knowingly.

Hermione glanced over at Malfoy one last time. He was flirting shamelessly with a couple of girls right in front of him. "He's not that cute," she declared, leaning her elbow on the little desk that was in front of her. It slid out from the side of the seat. They were all sitting in a huge lecture room, waiting for orientation to begin. Hermione tried her hardest to allow her curtain of hair to hide her face from her old schoolmate.

Selena snorted, an indelicate sound from a lovely girl. She rolled her eyes and said, "On a scale from one to ten, that guy is a twenty." She shrugged and pulled out her own quill and parchment from her bag. "Well, if you're not interested, I am."

"Be my guest," mumbled Hermione under her breath.

A middle-aged witch in stylish green robes walked onto the dais in the front of the room. A hush fell over the room as she cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. Hermione stole a last glance over at Malfoy before turning her attention to the woman who was currently introducing herself as the Program Director for first-year training healers. Why _did_ he have to be so cute? She thought.

Hermione ran into Malfoy later that day at lunch. Literally. She was carrying her tray piled high with salad and fruit to her table when she turned a corner and ran smack dab into a very male figure. A yelp escaped her lips as the tray flew from her hands and her food exploded all over them. Blood rushed to the tips of her ears as she bent down to pick up the remnants of her lunch. She was not having a good first day of classes.

"I am so sorry," she said, as she reached out to pick a piece of lettuce off the black cashmere sweater of the young man. She couldn't look at him, she just couldn't.

A hand fell heavily on hers and gently pulled her hand away. "Granger, it's okay."

At the sound of his familiar voice, Hermione yanked her hand away forcefully, losing her balance and falling unceremoniously on her bottom. Groaning, she closed her eyes, wishing the floor would open and swallow her. She heard a chuckle and opened them cautiously. Draco Malfoy was crouched on the floor in front of her, lettuce all over his front and a strawberry plastered on his cheek. She looked down at herself and realized that she didn't look much better. She picked a tomato from her skirt before snapping her knees together. If she wasn't mistaken, Malfoy had just gotten a pretty good view of her knickers. How humiliating!

He stood and held out his hand, as if to help her stand. Cautiously, she took it and he pulled her to a standing position. She brushed herself off unconsciously.

Draco grinned at her and fished around in his pockets for his wand. "I don't think you'll be able to salvage that plate, but I can at least clean us up." Using a quick spell, he magicked away the remnants of her lunch.

Hermione barely managed a thank you before Malfoy swept past her, whispering in her ear, "Purple is a good color on you, Granger."

He was gone before Hermione understood. She whipped around to admonish him, but he was gone. She only had one thing on that day with purple in it, and it wasn't something Malfoy should be looking at.

Blushing for the second time in the last five minutes, she ran from the cafeteria to get a hold of herself before the next class.

When she entered History of Healing I, Hermione chose a spot in the second row, right in the front of the professor. She was determined to do as well in university as she had done at Hogwarts. Everyone knew that of the one hundred students who had entered the Healing Institute yesterday, only twenty-five would graduate. Those were the statistics. Hermione was determined to be one of those twenty-five.

Hermione checked her watch. She had ten minutes before class started. Pulling out the books that she had already purchased for the class, she began to reread the first chapter. She was on page ten when someone tapped her on the shoulder. Whirling around, she found herself nose to nose with Malfoy. He was sitting in the elevated row directly behind her.

"Oi, Granger!" Malfoy's eyes were alight with mischief.

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned back around, determined to ignore the oaf. He was not going to ruin her career aspirations to become a healer. She would refrain from cursing or hexing him. She didn't want to get into trouble. She wasn't going to jeopardize her schooling because Malfoy had said something inappropriate to her.

She felt him lean down next to her.

"Seems we're going to be spending a lot of time together, Granger. Want to be study buddies?" he asked, his tone mocking.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Hermione ground out.

His only answer was a derisive laugh. Malfoy was about to say something else when he was interrupted by the professor, who had just walked into the room. He kept quiet the rest of the hour, but Hermione knew that he was staring at her the entire time.

As soon as they were dismissed, Hermione shoved her notebook into her book bag and headed straight for the door. She had made it outside the building and was walking determinedly towards the student center before Malfoy caught up with her.

She had known that he was following her, but they were in a well-trafficked area. He couldn't do anything to her. She felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned around, gripping her wand. She pointed it directly at his neck. Malfoy paused a moment.

Hermione glared at him, her unruly hair coming loose from her ponytail. In a low voice, she said to him, "I'm not taking your shit anymore, Malfoy. You and I both know that I could hex you so badly right now that it would take the most accomplished healers to sort you out." She paused, letting that statement sink in. He just stared back at her, his grey eyes steely and boring into hers. "Enough is enough. Grow up. We're nineteen years old." She took a step towards him, her expression threatening. He took a step back, off the path. "You aren't going to call me a mudblood; you aren't going to curse me behind my back; you are going to stop making comments about my purple underwear. Do you understand me?" Malfoy didn't respond.

"Do you understand?" Her voice rose and her hand shook.

Malfoy nodded slowly. Hermione, still on guard, lowered her wand an inch.

"Fine," he said finally. "But, I have a couple of things to say to you, too."

Hermione's eyebrows rose incredulously. Who was Malfoy to bargain with her?

"I'll be nice to you, but you have to agree to do one thing." Hermione eyed him skeptically. "You have to agree to study with me."

Hermione's wand hand dropped to her side and her mouth fell open. "What?" she cried in disbelief. "Why would you want to study with _me_?" She crossed her arms, analyzing his stance and expression. She had known Malfoy for years; she knew his body language.

A sardonic smile crept onto her face. "Oh, I get it," she said, nodding her head. "You want to copy all of my notes. You want to skip classes and get top grades."

"No." He sounded insulted. Copying her stance, he stood to his full height. Hermione had to lift her chin to look at him. He was around six feet now, with broad shoulders and well-defined arms. He wasn't gawky or awkward. He had grown up, and he was extremely attractive. She understood why Selena had been interested in him.

"Of the one hundred students who walked into this program yesterday, only twenty-five will graduate. I plan to be among those twenty-five. And, if I study with you, I'm sure to accomplish that goal," he explained.

Hermione paused. "Did you just compliment me?"

He shrugged and glanced away from her.

Hermione rolled her eyes and then pursed her lips. "Fine. But, no derogatory comments about me for the rest of the year."

Hermione figured that she would only be in one or two classes with him anyway. An hour or two of studying a week with him couldn't be that bad, right?

Before she turned to go, Malfoy snatched her schedule from her hands.

"Well, let's just see what courses we have together." He perused her schedule. A grin slowly spread across his face. "Oh, Granger. Oh, yes. We will be spending quite a bit of time together, now won't we?"

Hermoine grabbed her schedule from his hands. "Will you ask before taking, ferret?"

"Oh, no, no, no," cried Malfoy, wagging his index finger in front of her face. "If I can't call you mudblood, you most certainly will not be calling me ferret or anything related to that vermin. You got it?"

"Fine." A worried frown crossed her face as she glanced down at her schedule again. "How many classes _do_ we have together?" she asked suspiciously, wondering what she had gotten herself into.

Hermione had five classes total that semester—History of Healing I, Physiology and Anatomy, Magical Maladies: Part 1 (there were seven other sections that she would have to take as well), Curing Charms, and Common Emergencies of a Wizarding Household. By the end of her second day, she knew she was in trouble.

Draco Malfoy was in four out of five of her classes; and Professor Slipnitch had assigned them to be lab partners in Physiology and Anatomy. It was impossible to ignore the git when he was five inches away from her, and she could smell his cologne. She breathed in deeply, desperately trying to ignore the fluttering in her stomach. She barely managed to catch the assignment that Slipnitch gave them. Day Two wasn't going much better than Day One. With a grumble, she gathered her things together and traipsed out of the classroom.

Malfoy didn't bring up studying together again. He was perfectly polite to Hermione throughout all of their classes, but that didn't mean that Hermione trusted him. She kept one eye and ear on the professor and the other on him. He didn't necessarily acknowledge her presence in every class, yet she knew that he watched her like a hawk. She was completely aware of him, of the exact moment he entered the classroom to the time he left.

By the end of the first week of classes, Hermione Granger discovered something about Draco Malfoy that she never knew before. Draco Malfoy had a sense of humor. A really good sense of humor. Sometimes it was malicious, sometimes it was stupid, sometimes it was just plain witty. He drove her crazy, sneaking up behind her, whispering silly, useless facts in her ear.

"Did you know that a pig's orgasm lasts thirty minutes?" They were standing in line for lunch and Hermione had just ordered a ham sandwich. She had choked on the gum she was chewing. She hadn't known he was next to her until he was walking away from her, whistling the tune to the latest Weird Sisters song.

Or, there was the time when he had found her in the library at a table on the third floor in the back left-hand corner. He had bent down close to her ear and whispered, "Did you know that everyone's thumb is the same length as their nose?" She gave a shriek before catching herself. She whirled around in her chair, only to have him walk away and flash a sly grin at her. And, damn him, then she had checked. She really had, once she was sure that no one was around. It was true. How had he known that?

She had also researched the pig fact. It took a little bit of time, since it was harder to gain access to the internet in the magical world. Hermione got her chance a week after he told her. She had brought her laptop to a coffee shop around the corner from the school, in muggle London, and found it fairly quickly.

In class, he had begun to slip her notes. She felt like they were at Hogwarts again, only these notes were not drawings of Harry falling off of his broom during a Quidditch match. No, these were elaborate, drawn-out detailed jokes.

_"Three vampires walk into a bar and sit down at a table. The waitress comes over and asks the first vampire what he would like. The first vampire responds, "I vould like some blood." _

_The waitress turns to the second vampire and asks what he would like. The vampire responds, "I vould like some blood." _

_The waitress turns to the third vampire and asks what he would like. The vampire responds, "I vould like some plasma." _

_The waitress looks up and says, "Let me see if I have this order correct. You want two bloods and a blood light?" _

Hermione turned to him, lips twitching, but he paid no attention to her. He was carefully taking immaculate notes in his pristine notebook. That was another thing about Malfoy that Hermione had never noticed before. He was meticulous in his schoolwork. Very organized, and very detailed. She was shocked. Maybe he had gotten into The Healer's Institute on his own, without Daddy's money.

Three weeks after the first day of classes, Draco attempted to speak to her again about studying together. They were walking to Physiology and Anatomy.

"I think that we should study for the Charms test together," he announced to her, hoisting his books underneath his arm.

Hermione tilted her head. "That test isn't for another two weeks."

"I know. But, I wanted to let you know that I am ready to cash in." He shrugged his shoulders and looked forward, not meeting her gaze.

"Cash in?" Hermione smirked. "What have you done for me?"

Malfoy stopped in the middle of the path and turned to face her. "Excuse me?" he asked. "I have done a lot of things. I have refrained from calling you mudblood at least twenty-three times in the past two weeks. I have opened the door for you twice already today, and I haven't made a comment about that ponytail you have perpetually been wearing since the first day of classes." With that announcement, he continued walking.

Hermione had to jog to catch up to him. "What's wrong with my hair?"

He stopped again and tugged on the offending object, letting her hair fall through his fingertips. "Nothing. You should just wear it down a little more often. Maybe get the split ends cut off." He seemed to wake from his reverie. "Come on, we're going to be late."

They took off down the path and reached the lab just in time.

They decided to study in the Student Center that evening at seven o'clock. It was a Wednesday night, and the hall was crowded. They managed to find a small table with two chairs. They were so close together that their knees knocked together at first. Malfoy readjusted his long legs to get comfortable, and Hermione suppressed a shiver as her bare legs brushed his pants. She leaned down to pick up her notebook and to hide her face.

Since the semester had begun, Hermione had spent many hours with Malfoy. Besides class time, they usually walked to and from lunch together and often ate at the same table during lunch with a group of other people. After classes, she had seen him in the library and in the fitness center at least four days out of the week. He disappeared late at night, since he didn't live on campus. He would usually acknowledge her presence with a nod of his head and then continue on with his own activities. He seemed to have developed a small circle of friends, and Hermione had noticed Selena hanging out with him more than once.

This was the first time they had hung around each other in a more social situation all by themselves. Hermione felt a little awkward. She usually studied alone now. At Hogwarts, Ron and Harry had never helped her. She was the one who was helping them.

The test in charms was on Basic and Intermediate Healing Spells. It was nothing very complicated, but the quantity was great. In three weeks, they had already been asked to recognize, memorize, and perform over forty charms. Hermione noticed that Draco knew the basic charms fairly well, and by the end of the hour, they had covered over ten spells.

"What are you doing this weekend?" Malfoy asked suddenly.

Hermione paused and bit her lip, nervously. "What?"

"Do you have plans this weekend?" he repeated.

"I'm not sure yet," she replied. She eyed him skeptically. Where was his question leading? "I'm probably going to study all Saturday. I've got the essay to finish up for History, and then I need to review what we covered today for the char….."

"Why don't you go to Covent Garden with us on Saturday?" he asked, quickly.

"Who's 'us'?" she responded, watching him gather his notes and avoiding her eyes.

He shrugged. "Selena, Nora, Jack, Will, Sam, Lily, and I."

Hermione didn't say anything for a long time. "Okay. What time?"

Malfoy imperceptibly relaxed. Hermione would never have caught it if she wasn't so aware of his every move. Had he been nervous to ask her to go with them? Why hadn't he just had Selena ask her?

"We're going to apparate around eleven a.m. We're meeting in front of the library." He stood up and waited for her.

"Okay." Hermione didn't know what else to say or to do. She followed him out of the hall. A chill was in the air, and she hugged her coat around her tighter.

Malfoy flashed her a grin. "Do you want me to walk you to your dorm? It's getting a little late."

Hermione shook her head. "No, that's okay. I'm just across the street."

Malfoy nodded and shoved his hands in the pockets of his coat for warmth. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow." The next moment, he had apparated away.

Hermione stood there, confused and frustrated. Had Draco Malfoy just asked her on a date? He had seemed very nervous when he was asking her to go with the group. And, if she was honest with herself, she would admit that they were getting along extremely well lately. They weren't best friends. They just weren't enemies any longer.

Slowly, she crossed the deserted street and wondered what she had just agreed to do on Saturday.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hermione and Draco. They are on loan from JK Rowling.

Thank you so much to my reviewers!! They are very encouraging. Here's another update!

The next morning, Hermione and Selena headed over to the library entrance together. Selena was chatting happily about Jack, one of the guys that they were going with that day. Hermione had seen Jack a few times at lunch and had to admit that he was cute. Jack had dark brown hair that fell in his eyes constantly and deep green eyes that sparkled. He had a contagious grin, and always made you feel welcome. Hermione was somewhat relieved that Selena had turned her attention away from Draco. For her own good, Hermione kept telling herself.

They were the last ones to arrive, and immediately the eight of them apparated to an alley near Covent Garden. The market was in full swing by the time they got there, and they had split into several groups. Hermione found herself squished in between Selena and Lily, talking about hairstyles as they picked through a stall full of purses and jewelry.

"Oh, look at this!" squealed Lily. "I love amethyst." She held up a beautiful sterling silver and amethyst bracelet. It was an intricate design, and Hermione agreed that it was stunning. Checking the price, Lily sighed. "It's too much. Forty pounds." Most of the students at the Institute were familiar with muggle currency, since most of their resources came from the muggle world.

She put it back onto the display, a wistful expression on her face. They continued on in their browsing, the guys trailing behind them, usually talking outside the stalls, waiting for the girls to finish their window shopping.

Hermione wandered into a little boutique on a side street. She had lost the other girls in a hat shop, and she was taking the few extra minutes alone to browse by herself. She needed to find something for her mother's birthday, and the wares in this store seemed to be more of her mother's taste than the items on sale at the street market.

As Hermione wandered around the store, she found a rack of beautiful, hand-made scarves. She gasped. She hadn't seen anything so lovely in a while. She rarely shopped for herself, but she suddenly wished she had a little more money in her pocket for a purchase.

She sighed and turned away before somebody spoke. "Why don't you get one?"

She looked up to find Draco standing right next to her.

"Where did you come from?" she asked, once again fingering the lovely scarf.

"I saw you leave the group and wanted to make sure that you didn't wander too far," he said.

"Watching out for me, Malfoy?" she asked, a teasing grin slowly spreading across her face.

He ignored her. "What about this one?"

Malfoy stepped closer to her. He held out a beautiful, gold-embroidered scarf, pulling it gently from the peg on which it hung. Swirls of red and green and brown covered the entire length. He handed it to her, and Hermione glanced at the price tag. It was seventy-five pounds. "I… I can't afford that."

"It will match that red thong that you're wearing today." His voice was low; the comment was murmured in her ear.

"How… how did you..?" Her eyes were as huge as saucers as she twisted her head towards him.

"Granger, you seem very interested in showing me your knickers lately. If I didn't know you for so long, I'd think you had a thing for me." He reached down and skimmed the edge of the back of her jeans with his hand. She could feel his fingers on her bare lower back and could tell that a sliver of fabric from her thong was visible.

His hand was gone before she could scold him. He grinned cheekily and walked around the corner of the display. If she were to say anything now, the whole store would hear her.

Instead, Hermione found a display of jewelry and began to inspect several bracelets. After several minutes, she decided on a thin, gold bangle bracelet for her mother. She discovered a rack of earrings and picked out a pair to match the bracelet. She made her way up to the counter to pay, noticing that Malfoy stood just outside the door, hands in his pockets, patiently waiting for her to finish.

"Twenty pounds, miss," said the cashier as she wrapped the gift in paper and placed it into a small shopping bag. Hermione exchanged her money for the bag, and hurried outside.

Draco looked up as the door opened. "What did you buy? The whole store?" They walked down the street to rejoin their friends.

"Oh, shut up," replied Hermione, but without malice. "I bought a gift for my mother. It's her birthday on Tuesday."

"What did you get her?" asked Malfoy.

"Jewelry," she said. With a quick glance around, she shrunk her purchase so that it was small enough to fit in the pocket of her purse.

"Naughty, naughty, Granger," admonished Malfoy. "You better be careful no one sees you do that."

She stuck out her tongue at him as they reached the others.

They spent the rest of the afternoon browsing the shops, walking the London streets, laughing and joking. It was early evening when they decided to stop by a pub for a bite to eat. They had ordered their meals and a round of drinks when the girls decided to run to the loo to freshen up their make-up.

As soon as they were out of hearing distance of the guys, Lily asked, "So, Hermione, what is going on with you and Draco?"

Confused, Hermione looked up. She had been rummaging through her purse for lipstick. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. How long have the two of you been dating?" Lily said slyly.

"What?!" Hermione choked out, pressing a hand against her chest.

"Oh, don't play coy. We know the two of you are together. You are always together." Lily wasn't beating around the bush anymore. She was getting straight to the point.

"There is absolutely nothing going on between Malfoy and me," declared Hermione, stressing the word "nothing."

Selena, who had propped her hip against the sink, crossed her arms and added, "Oh, please. There might be nothing going on, but there's definitely _something _going on."

Hermione's jaw dropped, and she stared at her companions. They really believed that she and Malfoy were… were… _together._

She stopped and turned to face them. "Did you know that Malfoy and I went to Hogwarts together?"

They nodded, ready for some juicy gossip. Lily actually leaned closer to hear better.

Hermione continued. "Malfoy hates me. He has hated me since the moment we met in first year, when he found out that I was a muggleborn and that my best friends were Harry Potter and Ron Weasley."

Nora gasped. "You're friends with Harry Potter? Like, THE Harry Potter?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes. We are very good friends. I haven't seen them much since school started but we grew up together. Anyway, Malfoy hated Harry and in turn, hated me."

"How do you know he hated you?" asked Lily.

Hermione smirked. "He called me a mudblood from Second Year until Sixth Year. I felt that was a pretty big hint."

"No, he did not!" exclaimed Selena.

"Oh, yes, he did. I practically had to hex him on the first day of healing classes. If I hadn't threatened him, he would have bullied me this entire year," Hermione explained.

"How come you guys are always together, then?" asked Lily.

Hermione shrugged. "We made a deal. He wouldn't make any derogatory comments to me, and I would help him study. So far, it's worked out fine."

Selena snorted, and Hermione glanced in her direction. "Draco is getting some of the best grades in our class. He knows the stuff inside and out. How often have you two been studying together?"

Hermione's brow furrowed. "Not much," she admitted. "We started studying for the Charms test that is in two weeks."

Selena waved her hand at Hermione. "He had those charms memorized within one week. He's been helping me out during breaks since I was having trouble with several of them."

"What?" replied Hermione, confused. Malfoy had been spending a lot of time with her, and it wasn't to study. He seemed to want to get to know her. But Hermione knew Malfoy and knew him well. He was sly and cunning and everything that he did, he did for a reason. She didn't trust him one little bit.

She shrugged. "Well, that is the deal that he and I made. He has been nice to me, and I have helped him study when he's asked."

Hermione saw the three other girls exchange glances, but chose to ignore it. She pushed herself away from the sink, threw her lipstick back in her bag, and headed for the doors. The other girls followed, and the subject changed to what they were going to have for dinner.

The conversation weighed on Hermione's mind as they sat and ate. She watched Draco. It was easy, since he sat right next to her. Over the course of the evening she realized that he was as aware of her as she was of him. He ordered her a second glass of wine, and he didn't even have to ask her what she had chosen the first time. When the waiter returned with their food, Malfoy knew which entrée was hers. At the end of the evening, they shared a dessert. Chocolate pudding. It was one of her favorites.

They were all very full of food and very relaxed as they made their way back to the apparation point. They found themselves in front of the library at university once again and made quite a racket as they crossed campus together.

In front of the girls' dorm, Selena said good-bye to the others and headed off with Jack. She gave Hermione a wink and a sly smile before turning around. Hermione knew that her roommate's bed would be empty that night.

Will and Sam were trying to convince Nora and Lily to go to a party with them, and Hermione yawned.

"I'm ready to head home," said Malfoy to her. "Can we study tomorrow?" The night had grown colder and Hermione could see her breath.

"What do you want to study?" asked Hermione. After the conversation in the loo that night, she wondered how well he was actually doing with his schoolwork.

"I need to go over the skeletal system for Anatomy," he explained. "I keep getting some of the bones in the foot mixed up with the ones in the hand and wrist. I figured since we were lab partners, we might as well go over it together." He paused. "That, and because you still owe me for today, when I chaperoned you at that store."

"I didn't ask for a chaperone," she said stiffly. If the only reason he wanted to study was so that she could repay some debt, she wasn't sure that she wanted to do so.

He eyed her, sensing her change in mood. "Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist. If you want to know the truth, I followed you because I didn't want you to get separated from the group in the middle of a busy market place. Are you happy now?"

Hermione cocked her head up, looking at him shrewdly. "You know, you spend an awful lot of time thinking about my knickers."

He gave a sharp laugh. "Of course, I do, Granger. I'm male."

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to the two girls. "Are you guys coming? Because I'm freezing here, and I'm ready to go to my room." Draco stood next to her, barely brushing against her arm.

Reluctantly, the girls followed Hermione, waving good-bye to the guys. Draco headed off in one direction and the others headed the opposite way.

Inside, Lily and Nora headed down the first floor hallway, and Hermione headed upstairs. When Hermione arrived at her dorm room, she pulled out her purchase from earlier that day. Her mother's jewelry glittered in the light, and Hermione smiled as she placed it in a small box, ready for wrapping. Her eye caught another bag inside her purse.

She pulled it out, realizing that it had been magically shrunk to fit into her purse. Casting a quick spell, she returned the bag to its normal size and then pulled out the item inside. It was the scarf that she and Malfoy had looked at. It was beautiful. The fabric fell across her fingertips, soft and sleek. She closed her eyes and brought the fabric to her face. She rubbed it against her cheek.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes and pulled away. The scarf had been seventy five pounds. It was way too expensive, and she knew exactly who had bought it. Malfoy.

As much as she wanted to keep it, to wear it, she knew that she had to return it. She had to give it back.

She fell asleep that night, the scarf on the dresser beside her bed, thinking about Malfoy and how he had turned her world upside down.

The following morning, Hermione walked to the Student Center. Malfoy was to meet her there at eleven a.m. She chose a table in the middle of the Center, and began to spread out her books on the table. She was reviewing several pages of notes when Malfoy arrived.

Malfoy wore jeans and a sweater; his blond hair was damp from his morning shower; and he smelled like cologne. He grinned easily at her as he flung his own notebooks on the table. "Morning."

In his hands were two cups of coffee and a small bag. "I brought some breakfast. I was rushing out of my flat this morning, and forgot to eat," he explained. He placed a cup of coffee down in front of Hermione and another in front of his seat. He opened the bag and several pastries spilled out. He gestured towards the food. "Take one."

"Thanks," said Hermione. She reached out and chose a strawberry and cream cheese pastry. She hadn't eaten a big breakfast, and the pastry smelled delicious. As did the coffee. She took a sip. Two sugars and three creams. Just how she liked it. She glanced at Malfoy from underneath her eyelashes. He was absently smiling and humming to himself. Why was he in such a good mood?

Malfoy sat down and Hermione pulled out her wand. Casting a spell, she produced a holographic diagram of the human skeletal system.

"Here's the skeletal system, without the labeled bones. If you want to see your answer, merely jab the bone once with your wand." She demonstrated, pointing her wand at the tibia. An illuminated name appeared next to the bone, wavered, and then softly dissolved into the air. "We can go through the entire body from head to toe, and check out answers along the way. What do you think?"

The next hour passed fairly quickly. As the morning waned and noon passed, the hall began to fill with university students.

They were finishing up and had decided to head over to the cafeteria for some lunch when Hermione remembered the scarf. They were putting away their books when Hermione took the package out of her book bag and slid it onto the table in between them.

"Malfoy, I wanted to say 'Thank you' for the scarf, but I can't accept this," Hermione said quietly. Her fingers lingered on the package. She glanced up. Malfoy had become utterly still.

He suddenly realized how long he sat there, immobilized. He quickly shoved the last of his notes in his own bag. "I don't know what you're talking about." He avoided her gaze.

"Malfoy, knock it off. I know that you slipped this in my purse yesterday." She gently, reverently, pulled the expensive accessory out of the shopping bag.

He looked down at the item in question. He made a grumbling noise that Hermione couldn't distinguish.

"Malfoy, don't play stupid. It doesn't become you," Hermione stated, a bit harshly.

His body stiffened. "Fine," he said, his voice hard. "I bought it for you. I slipped it into your bag. It's yours. It's a gift."

"Malfoy, this gift is beautiful, but I can't accept it. It cost too much money," she said quietly, looking down at her hands clasped in her lap. She couldn't look at him.

"Fine," he said again, rising from his chair. "But I don't want it, so I guess we'll just leave it here."

Her head shot up sharply, her eyes wide. "What do you mean, leave it here? You just spent an exorbitant amount of money on this! Take it back."

Malfoy snorted. "That was nothing, Granger. The Malfoys have more money than we know how to spend." He refused to touch the scarf, even look at it. He turned to walk away, his backpack slung over his shoulder.

Hermione gazed at his retreating form. She jumped up out of her chair, scraping it noisily on the hardwood floor. She said loudly, "You know, I know you are up to something. Why would you be buying me gifts, being nice to me, flirting with me? I know you want something in return. You always seem to want to 'cash in' every time you do something nice for me. I'm wondering what you want now."

Her whirled around, his eyes boring into hers. The expression on his face was threatening enough to make Hermione take a step backwards. "I don't want or need anything from you, Granger. I never did. I never will. Not from your kind." He sneered, his gaze derisively perusing her form.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" cried Hermione, ignoring the curious glances they were attracting. She had, after all, chosen a table in the middle of the room.

"You know what I mean," he sneered. "You are filthy little mudblood, who doesn't even know how good she had it for the past couple of weeks."

Hermione gasped and pulled back, as if he had just hit her. "This just proves you haven't changed, Malfoy! I knew it. I knew I could never trust you. You're an arsehole." Her face was red, and she could feel tears prick the corners of her eyes.

He didn't seem to have anything more to say to her. With a half-hearted shrug, he turned and walked away. "Whatever, muddie."

Hermione was furious and frustrated and upset. She didn't know how they had gone from congenial study buddies to sworn enemies in the span of five minutes. Wiping away the tears which spilled from her eyes, she snatched the accessory from the table top and shoved it into her book bag. Without a backward glance at the students openly staring at her, she ran from the room, in the opposite direction of Malfoy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters. They are the product of JK Rowling.

**Author's Note:** Thanks for all the reviews! Keep it coming. They are very encouraging!

Hermione spent the next several days alone. She stayed in her dorm room all Sunday, only entering the Student Center during the late afternoon to pick up some food for her system. She fell asleep early that night, restless and anxiously waiting for morning.

The following days, she spent either in her dorm room, in classes or in the library. She barely ate a bite for breakfast and lunch, easily avoiding Draco and the group of friends with whom she had gone to Covent Garden. Selena had found out about their encounter in the Student Center by Monday evening, but she merely told Hermione that if she wanted to talk, she was there.

Though she saw Malfoy in all of their classes, they didn't say a word to each other. Usually, he greeted her with a wave and a nod. Now, it was nothing. He simply acted as if she didn't exist.

Hermione didn't even know why Malfoy's silence affected her so much. This was what bothered her the most. She had hated Draco Malfoy in Hogwarts. Why, at university, was he suddenly that important to her? Why did he matter?

She had a sneaking suspicion that it was because he had lulled her into believing that he cared, that he cared about her and their relationship. Relationship? They had a relationship? Yes, she confirmed to herself. They did. They had strong feelings towards each other. You couldn't hate unless you had strong feelings towards someone. You couldn't love unless you had strong feelings towards someone. So, did this mean she loved him? Because she didn't think she hated him anymore.

Damn it. She was confused.

By Thursday, the day of their three hour lab together, Hermione was miserable. She had had numerous "talks" with herself. She was anticipating this class with much dread, and just a little bit of anticipation since interaction was necessary. If she wanted to admit it totally to herself, she missed Malfoy. She missed their banter, their study sessions, their arguments. At Hogwarts, they were always interacting, whether they wanted to or not. And, in the past week, she hadn't seen hair or hide of him outside of class.

Hermione took a deep breath before entering the lab room. They were beginning a new project, analyzing the human brain over the next few weeks. They would be using a realistic model for the first few labs with a holographic image as a secondary source. She had already read over the chapters in their text book at least three times, and she was completely prepared.

She had dressed carefully that day, knowing that Malfoy would inevitably make a comment about her appearance. She didn't want him to think that she was crying over their lost relationship. Her blue jeans fit her form in all of the right places, and she wore a v-neck sweater of burnt orange. Her hair was only partially pulled back, and she had treated it with a potion to tame the curls a bit. Her jewelry accessorized her outfit perfectly. She had actually broken down and asked Selena on the matter. She looked good. She knew it.

Malfoy was already there when she entered the room. He was reading his own text book, ignoring everyone else in the room. He was resting his elbow on the desk that they shared, his head resting on his hand. He turned the page and sighed.

Hermione quietly placed her bag on the floor and sat down, accidentally brushing her foot against his as she crossed her legs. She felt him pull away from her touch, and she resolutely ignored the hurt she felt as he did so. Sighing, she pulled her own books from her bag and began to read.

The minutes slowly ticked by as more students filled the room. The lab only had sixteen people in it, and most usually showed up at least five minutes prior to the start time. Hermione glanced at the clock again and again. Only one minute had passed each time. She closed her eyes in frustration. This was going to be a long three hours.

A rustling sound interrupted her thoughts and she turned her head to see Malfoy's face inches from hers. She blinked her eyes slowly, her expression impassive.

"Granger, you smell like a cheap flower shop in Hogsmeade. What the hell do you have on?" he sniffed and pulled away from her, wrinkling his nose.

Hermione tossed her hair over her shoulder. "It's Selena's. You never seem to mind when she wears it."

"I'm not forced to sit next to her for three hours in a lab and smell her perfume. Go wash it off," he said curtly and turned back to his reading. He was clearly dismissing her.

Her sharp laugh brought his attention back to her. "Am I bothering you, Malfoy? Is my presence bothering you?" she asked, leaning closer to him.

He raked his gaze over her, lingering a little too long on her chest. Hermione allowed herself a small smile. The necklace that Hermione wore accented the plunging neckline of the sweater, drawing attention to her cleavage. Selena had assured her that any male would be appreciative of the sight.

"Go wash off the perfume, Granger," he ground out.

"Don't tell me what to do, Malfoy," she hissed. "You don't own me." She kept her face close to his, purposely infiltrating his personal space. She could smell his own cologne, and she had to admit that he smelled good. Really good.

They stayed that way for a full minute before the professor walked into the room and began the day's lesson. Malfoy turned away before she did, and Hermione felt a small satisfaction in winning their staring contest.

Fifteen minutes later, after a series of directions from the instructor, they began.

"Let's get this done quickly, Granger," announced Malfoy. "I don't want to spend any more time with you than necessary." He headed to the side of the room to pick up supplies for the lab.

"The feeling is mutual," Granger assured him when he returned. She had set up the 3-D image over their workspace.

Malfoy set down the model on the table top. Over the next two hours, they painstakingly picked apart the frontal lobe, labeling every portion of it, and reviewing its functions. They spoke in clipped, direct tones. They finished sooner than any other group in the room. After cleaning up their workspace, they received permission to leave early.

Hermione grabbed her coat from the back of the chair and pulled a scarf out of one of its pockets. It was the scarf he had given her less than a week ago, the one which had caused their fight. It shimmered under the lights and caught Malfoy's eye. He paused in his movements to stare as she wrapped the scarf around her neck and used it to cover the exposed skin on her chest. Tugging her coat on, she lifted her hair so that it wouldn't get caught under her clothes. She was completely aware that Malfoy was still noticing her every move.

Selena had recommended this move. After a quick discussion last night, Selena had suggested she wear the scarf. "If you want a reaction out of Draco, you should wear that scarf that he gave you. It will be a peace offering from you and it will make him start the conversation. He won't be able to hold back. He's just that type of guy." Her eyes had glittered with anticipation. "I would love to be there when he sees that wrapped around your neck."

She gathered her books and bag and hurried out of the room. Malfoy was directly behind her, right on her heels. Down the hallway, out the door, and down the stone steps to the walkway to the Student Center, she went. The anger emanating from him grew and grew. A small shred of joy, maybe even hope, sprouted inside of Hermione. Draco Malfoy was not indifferent to her.

Hermione felt a hand on her upper arm grab her and whirl her around. "What are you playing at, Hermione Granger?" he growled in her ear.

She tilted her head up to him. "What are you talking about?" she asked playfully. For the first time in five days, she was smiling. She felt giddy with relief. He had sought her out.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Wearing perfume, dressing like a whore, and finally putting on that damn scarf that I bought. I don't trust you," he said, pulling her closer.

Hermione smirked. "Maybe you shouldn't," she said, unwavering in her stance. She had her wand within hand's reach. He couldn't do much to her in the middle of the university grounds.

Reluctantly, he released her. "What do you want?" he asked, crossing his arms and staring shrewdly at her.

"What do _you_ want, Malfoy?" she countered. He didn't say a word. She continued, stepping slowly backwards, away from him. "You know what I would want if I were you? I'd want the Charms notes that you left on the table on Sunday. I'd want them for that big test we have next Wednesday. Especially the notes on charms for mending muscles and tendons. You seemed to have a little trouble on those." She pulled out an object from her bag, and flashed him a notepad with his very distinct, neat handwriting visible on it.

His face fell. She knew that he hadn't realized the notes were gone. He would have come after her sooner. She grinned cheekily, scooted away from his outstretched hand, and then took off running across campus. She needed to reach the Student Center; more specifically she needed to get herself lost in the hallways there and take refuge in one of the rooms.

It was exhilarating; the chase always is. Hermione ran down one pathway, and then another, before cutting across an open field. She was quick, due to the daily run she had every evening before dinner. The daily run that Draco didn't know about.

He was close behind her, but his surprise had given him a late start. Hermione had about twenty yards on him, but the gap was closing rapidly. She climbed the stairs to the building two at a time, flung open the door, and turned right at the first hallway. As she turned the next left, she heard his footsteps in the building. She squeaked, which unfortunately alerted him to her direction.

Quickly, he followed her. Hermione passed several rooms before seeing the small alcove into the women's bathroom. Breathing a sigh of relief, she slammed the door shut behind her and collapsed into a fit of giggles against the wall. Teasing a guy was more fun than she realized.

Suddenly, the door swung open. Malfoy, sweating and gasping for breath, stood in the doorway. Hermione squeaked. "Malfoy, you moron, this is the women's room. You're across the way." She waved her hand to the opposite side of the hallway, smiling impishly at him.

He ignored her. Approaching her, he hauled her up to a standing position. Hermione stopped giggling, and stared straight at him. She gulped, unable to help herself. She was a little bit afraid at that moment. Just a little bit.

"I want my notes back," he said quietly, his hands firmly underneath her arms, pressing her into the wall.

"I will give you your notes back if you stop acting like such an ass," she replied calmly.

"I haven't done anything to you," he stated.

"Exactly," said Hermione. "You haven't upheld your end of the bargain. Why should I help you with your study habits?"

"You're playing dirty, Granger," he said, releasing her. He turned away, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"I'm not the only one," she said, crossing her arms and staring at him defiantly. "Look, I'll give you back your Charms notes at our next study session."

Malfoy's eyebrows raised as he stared at her incredulously. "You want to study with me?"

Hermione shrugged. "Sure, why not? As long as you stop being such a jerk about everything. I didn't want to take the scarf because my mom always told me that I should never accept a gift from a guy who I wasn't dating. Well, I'm nineteen now, and I'm allowed to make my own decisions."

Hermione watched as Malfoy transformed into an awkward teenager before her very eyes. A small, pleased smile crossed his face and then quickly disappeared. A pink tinge erupted on the tips of his ears. He was embarrassed, she realized. Embarrassed and pleased all at the same time.

She had accepted his gift and he was pleased. But, he wasn't sure how to display his emotions towards her.

Hermione put out her hand. "Do we have a deal?"

He stared at her hand for a long time. Hermione watched a dozen different emotions cross his face before a triumphant look settled there. Shaking her hand, he said, "Deal."

His grip suddenly tightened and he yanked her to him, reaching for her book bag. Pulling it from her shoulder, he started going through it, searching for his notes. He suddenly realized that Hermione wasn't protesting. He looked up when he couldn't find them.

She was smirking. "Do you really think that I would bring those notes with me? They're up in my dorm room. I needed collateral for today. I merely showed you a copy of what I have. That's disappeared by now."

Surprised, Malfoy looked down at the bag in his hands and started rummaging through it again.

"I don't have my Charms notes in there, either, so stop looking for a copy," she said, still watching him, a gleeful expression on her face.

He pulled out her lab notebook, from the class they had just attended. He sneered, "That's not what I was looking for. I felt the need for some security of my own. I'll just take this until our next study session."

"Shit," mumbled Hermione and reached for her notes. Malfoy lifted it higher, out of her reach. She scrambled to get her notes one more time, before she realized how dumb she had been and how dumb she looked. Settling down, she said, "Fine. Keep it."

She gathered up her things, avoiding his gaze, and walked out of the lavatory. He followed her.

"When do you want to study?" he asked, falling in step with her. He had shoved her notes into his own bag.

"Tonight," she answered. "Student Center."

"Why don't you just come over to my place?" he suggested. "It'll be quieter, and we won't attract so much attention if we get into another fight."

"Anticipating battle with me, Malfoy?" she questioned, tilting her head up to scrutinize him.

"As always, Granger, as always," he said. He stopped at the double doors leading to the outside. "I'll owl you directions and the password."

"Leave it to you to have a password to your college flat," she said dryly.

"I do what I must," he said. Then, he turned and walked away.

Hermione shook her head as she watched him exit. If she wasn't mistaken, Malfoy had a little more bounce to his step. Their encounter had been quite invigorating. She was looking forward to tonight.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Hermione Granger or Draco Malfoy. They belong to JK Rowling.

**Author's Note:** Thank you so much for the reviews! They are very encouraging, both my avid readers and my newcomers. It's great to know that people actually read and like what I am writing. Keep them coming… it encourages me to update quicker, I admit.

**Second Author's Note:** Smachimo the Trumpeteer is the name of my cat. He likes to type on my laptop. Unfortunately, it is usually at the same time that I am trying to type as well. I felt that he deserved a spot in one of my stories, due to his avid interest in my Harry Potter fanfiction addiction.

It was six o'clock that evening. Hermione stood in front of the six-story building on a side street three blocks away from campus. Malfoy had opted not to stay in the dorms, apparently. Red brick covered the outside. Two flats were on each floor, with the top floor being one large flat. Each apartment had its own balcony, and Hermione suspected the largest flat had a rooftop patio. She wasn't surprised to learn that Draco's flat was the large one on top.

Climbing the stairs, Hermione found herself in front of an ornate mahogany door. She pulled out the parchment that Draco had sent over to her via owl with directions on how to enter the flat.

_ Granger,_

_ Meet me at my place at eight o'clock, after dinner. 395 Front Street, London. No. #11._

_ Pull out your wand, and tap the nose of the gargoyle three times. Recite "Penetro Domus Draconis" _

_ and you will hear a bell. I'll open the door for you._

_ Draco_

_ P.S. Don't knock! If you do, something bad will happen and I don't feel like spending my evening at _

_ St. Mungo's!_

She did as instructed, and a moment later, Malfoy had opened the heavy door.

"Granger," he nodded in greeting, stepping aside to allow her entrance.

Hermione hesitated a moment before entering the flat. She felt like she was stepping into the dragon's lair, the tiger's cage, the enemy's territory. Telling herself that she was being silly, she walked into Malfoy's flat.

She peered around, curious of Malfoy's taste. The flat was very modern, with hardwood floors, white walls, and contemporary art on the walls. No curtains covered the floor-to-ceiling windows and the last rays of sunlight poured into the room. A half wall divided the small kitchen from the living area. The furniture was simple and square. A fifty inch flat screen TV covered one wall. She noticed a gray and white striped cat lounging on an ottoman in the middle of the room.

Hermione was a bit surprised. Flat screen TV? When had Malfoy decided to play with muggle inventions? And, she was pretty sure that the furniture was muggle-made. A small part of her wasn't surprised. The room was decorated with finely-made, expensive items. It was slightly cold, not really a home. More like a place that someone resided. She wondered how large the place actually was.

"Nice crib," she said, nodding, continuing to observe her surroundings. She stopped abruptly and asked, "What 'bad' thing would happen to me if I knocked instead of following the directions?"

Draco shrugged nonchalantly. "Your fingernails and toenails would start growing at a rate of one centimeter per second and turn purple."

Hermione stared at him. "Malfoy," she said after a moment, a disgusted expression twisting across her countenance. "That's gross."

He grinned. "I know. I figured it would be a real turn off to some of my relatives. Dear old Dad still hasn't figured out the password. He keeps showing up with boils in unmentionable places or bogeys that won't go away. It's very effective in keeping the folks out."

Hermione rolled her eyes, walked further into the room, and dumped her book bag onto the coffee table. Pulling her coat off her form, she slung it over the back of the couch, placing the scarf inside one of its pockets. She still wore the sweater from earlier that day. She set her hands on her hips and examined the room further. "Not bad." She crouched down next to the ottoman and reached gingerly towards the feline who lay there. "Who's this?"

She let the cat sniff her fingers before slowly reaching to pet its head. She crooned nonsense words to it as she pet its head, and scratched behind its ears.

"That's Smachimo," said Draco, watching her seduce the animal. "Be careful. He bites."

Without warning, the cat playfully grabbed Hermione's hand with both front paws and sunk its teeth into her hand. She yelped and pulled away. "You little sucker," she mumbled, shaking her hand.

"How did he get a name like that?" she asked, warily extending her hand out again to pet him.

"It's from an American cartoon show," he explained. "His full name is Smachimo the Trumpeteer." He headed towards the kitchen, passing by a dining table, turning several lights on as he went. "I found him in an alley. He was a stray kitten, only six weeks old."

Hermione laughed, stroked the cat's head one last time and followed Malfoy into the kitchen.

He was pulling a bottle of red wine out of a rack. Placing it on the counter, he uncorked it and pulled down several glasses. "Would you like some?"

"Sure," agreed Hermione. She watched him pour two generous glasses before handing one over to her.

"Cheers," he said, tipping his glass towards hers. They clinked. Hermione and Malfoy both sipped their wine. She felt as if a truce was forming between the two of them.

Malfoy broke the silence. He exited the kitchen, picking up his books and his wand from the dining room table and said, "So, I was thinking that we should start with Charms."

Hermione smothered a laugh. "You just want your notes back." She set down her glass on a side table in the living room and pulled her bag open. "You're becoming predictable in your old age." Several papers rustled as she hunted through several notebooks before finding what she wanted. Drawing a notebook and her wand out of the bag, she examined it before turning to show him the papers. "Here are your Charms notes. Are you ready to give me back my lab from today?"

Malfoy examined the papers from afar. In his own hands, he held Hermione's lab book. "All right. On the count of three, we exchange. Ready?" Hermione nodded. "One, two, three…"

"_Accio!_" both of them cried. Their respective papers flew into their hands.

"You didn't trust me!" exclaimed Hermione, double-checking to make sure everything was as it should be.

"Of course not! Why would I?" Malfoy glanced over his notes once before shuffling them into a pile of books that he had pulled out from his bag. "You didn't trust me. I didn't expect you to."

Hermione just shook her head at him. "Let's start or else we'll be here all night."

"Tsk, tsk, Granger. I thought your idea of an exciting night was studying until you fell asleep on your books," teased Malfoy.

"Screw you," said Hermione, without any venom. "I usually don't mind, but I have to walk back to campus, remember?"

Malfoy shrugged. Imitating her, he organized his notes in front of him so they could begin working. "Have you started studying for the History test next Thursday?"

Hermione shook her head. "I'm not as worried about that one. Most of that information is pretty straightforward. How about Maladies? Have you started the essay?"

Malfoy nodded. "I have about three feet of it done. I chose 'Aches and Pains of Middle-Aged Witches'. It was easy. I cited my mother in half of the essay."

Hermione gave Malfoy an incredulous look. "And you think that will hold up well with Professor Porthouse?"

Malfoy snorted. "Of course. The two of them are bosom buddies. I've known Melba since I was five years old. She fixed my first case of Harrowing Hiccups, and my mother was so impressed at how quickly she did it that she called her back for every little twinge that any of us felt."

Hermione paused in her perusal of Intermediate Charms. "That is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard."

"I know," he agreed. "But, that's the way my mother is. Why are you even taking Common Emergencies?" He pointed to the text book on the table next to her.

"I have a secret, Malfoy," she said quietly. She waved him closer; he leaned towards her. She waved him even closer; he was inches from him now. She said dryly, "In case you didn't realize, I'm muggleborn. I didn't grow up in a Wizarding household. Therefore, I don't know the Common Emergencies found in Wizarding Households."

"That was obnoxious," stated Malfoy, pulling away.

"I'm learning from the best," she responded glibly.

They continued their banter throughout the evening, studying several subjects while doing so. They wrote a conclusion for the lab that they had completed that day, exchanged their Maladies essays to correct each other's, and then quizzed each other for the History test. Hermione had to admit, but only to herself, that Malfoy was a much better study partner than either Harry or Ron ever were.

Hermione had curled herself into a ball on the sofa, a green cashmere blanket wrapped around her feet. She had removed her shoes long ago; they lay on the floor next to her. Her hair had eventually found its way up to her ever-present ponytail. Malfoy had taken up residence on the floor. He lay on his back, his legs resting on the sofa, his hands occupied with a cat toy. The animal had crept closer to his owner and was eyeing the toy unwaveringly. Every now and then he would swat at it.

Hermione was reading Malfoy questions from a book that rested in her lap. She took a sip out of her second glass of wine as she asked, "What year was the first magical hospital founded in Britain and why was it significant?"

Malfoy threw the toy to the far end of the room. Smachimo frantically scrambled after it, took it in his mouth and raced back to his master. He dropped the toy on Malfoy's stomach, and eagerly waited for a repeat performance. Malfoy obliged, casually tossing the object once again.

"Malfoy?" said Hermione, watching this exchange. "Malfoy, are you even paying attention?"

His head shot up in confusion. "What? Can you repeat the question?"

Hermione slammed the book shut. "I think we're done for tonight." She glanced at the silver watch on her left wrist. "Oh, wow. We really are done. It's midnight. I didn't realize it was this late." She began to collect her things, shoving them into her book bag.

"You know, you can sleep over here, if you want." The words seemed to pop out of Malfoy's mouth before he really thought them through.

Hermione colored slightly, her mind wandering to thoughts that she didn't think he had intended. "Um, that's okay," she mumbled as she put her shoes back on her feet.

He stood up gracefully and stretched. He had discarded his sweater a while ago, and his t-shirt rode up to reveal a flat, toned stomach. He didn't seem to notice her discomfort. "Are you sure? I've got plenty of room." He gestured towards the hallway which led to his sleeping quarters. When he caught sight of her face, he grinned knowingly. "Well, I didn't mean you'd be staying in my room, but if you're interested…" He let his voice trail off.

"I knew what you meant, Malfoy," she said wryly. "I'll be fine. I will use your bathroom before I leave, though." He walked her to the bathroom and continued down the hallway to his own bedroom.

Hermione walked into the bathroom, amazed but not surprised at the beautiful décor. After seeing to her needs, she washed her hands and splashed some water on her face. She yanked the rubber band out of her hair, massaging her head through the mass of curls. She was sure that she had been as red as a tomato when he had mentioned sleeping over. For a moment, the idea of snuggling into bed with Draco Malfoy had seemed perfectly irresistible. She wasn't exactly in the mood to face the bitter cold outside, and she was quite comfortable being around him right now. And she liked the way he smelled. She vaguely wondered what it would feel like to rest her head on his shoulder and cuddle up with him, caressing his bare skin in the process.

_No,_ she scolded herself. _Snap out of it! You can not be thinking those thoughts. This is Draco Malfoy, remember him?_

Sighing, Hermione opened the door and headed into the living room. Malfoy had changed into flannel pajama bottoms and a new t-shirt. His hair was tousled, and he yawned. There was something extremely sexy about perfect, not-a-hair-out-of-place Draco Malfoy standing in his living room with his pajamas on.

Hermione threw her coat on and slung her back pack on her right shoulder. She needed to get out of this place, and she needed to do it now. Before she did something that she regretted.

_Say goodnight and go_, she said to herself. _It's Malfoy. Just say goodnight and go_.

She headed towards the entrance of the apartment, not looking at him. Draco followed her, unlocked the door, and opened it for her.

She turned to say goodbye to him, and suddenly realized that he was within arm's reach of her. She raised her eyes to meet his smoky grey ones, and time stopped. Perhaps it was the wine or her tiredness. She wasn't really sure. Before she knew what she was doing, Hermione cupped her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him down to her.

Their lips met, yielding and warm. Hermione moaned softly. He tasted so good, like the wine they had just shared. His tongue sought entrance, and she opened her mouth willingly. They explored each other. Hermione pressed her body against his, reveling in his hard body and the heat emanating from him.

Maybe that was the thought that made her stop. And wrench herself away from him. Her eyes were wild and scared.

"G…g…goodnight!" she cried, whirling around and hurling herself down the steps of his home. Why had she just done that? What had possessed her to kiss him? And kiss him like _that_? Like she was starving and only he could satisfy her every need?

She groaned as she reached the bottom of the building. Walking as quickly as she could, she made it across the street before she found a few bushes that hid her from Malfoy's view. She needed to compose herself. She turned to stare up at his flat.

It was dark outside, and the lights remained turned on in his living room. She could see him standing there, watching for her. He turned away, and plopped himself down on his couch. Relaxed and reclining, he turned on the flat screen TV and flicked through the channels.

Hermione turned and started walking back to her dorm. _What_ had she just done?


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Hermione Granger or Draco Malfoy. They belong to JK Rowling.

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the wait, guys! And the shorter chapter. I have a lot going on in my life right now, but I still want to keep on top of this story because I really enjoy writing it. I promise to keep the next update within two weeks!

**Chapter 5**

Hermione sat in a corner café the following morning, sipping a large coffee and picking at a half-eaten pastry. Her notes for her Common Emergencies class lay in front of her, unnoticed. She was staring at the cars on the street, at the people passing by, but she wasn't really seeing them. She was daydreaming. About him. About that kiss.

Merlin, that kiss had been good. Really good. Draco Malfoy kissed with the finesse of an Italian lover. His tongue had caressed hers softly, over and over again. It wasn't too sloppy or too tight-lipped. He had, quite simply, been perfect. He had effectively ruined her for any other man. She had imagined his tongue doing those things to other, more intimate places on her body, and had turned positively red just thinking about it.

She waved her hand absentmindedly in front of her face, trying to cool herself. Had it suddenly gotten overly warm in the café? Ugh, she didn't want to think about him anymore. She needed to think about Common Emergencies. She had class in forty-five minutes.

A rustle of clothing caught her attention, and she suddenly realized that she had a companion. She wasn't sure if he was welcome or not.

"Good morning, Granger," said Malfoy smoothly. In his hand, he held a cup of steaming hot coffee.

Hermione blushed and avoided his gaze. "Morning, Malfoy."

"I wanted to talk to you about last night," continued Draco nonchalantly, placing his bookbag on the floor. He seemed to be getting comfortable.

_Shit,_ thought Hermione, blushing slightly. She had no idea what had possessed her to kiss him last night. She had no idea what to do about it this morning. She really thought that she could have avoided him this morning by retreating to a muggle café. Apparently not.

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione casually.

"Well, I wanted to go over more of History before the test." He stopped, waiting for her response.

_That was it?_ thought Hermione. _That was all he had to say about last night? Not, why did you kiss me? Not, goodness, that kiss was good?_ Wait. What if he didn't think she had been that good. Oh, Merlin. What if?

"I think we should study together again." Somewhere that statement registered in the back of Hermione's mind. They were going to study again. Goodness, it better be in a public place, preferably with lots of people around.

"Why don't we meet at my place again?" he suggested.

_No, no, no_, Hermione thought. _Not a good idea._ "That sounds like a good idea." Where did those words come from?

Malfoy nodded, a triumphant grin on his face. "The password is the same."

"You change it?" Despite herself, Hermione lifted her eyebrows and stared at him, incredulously.

"Of course," he said. "Important strategy. Always change the password. Never make it the same after an enemy has entered the territory."

Hermione's lips tilted upwards on one side. "Am I your enemy, Draco?"

"I think you know the answer to that, _Hermione_," he said, pointedly saying her first name. They rarely acknowledged each other this way.

Hermione enjoyed a challenge; Draco knew it. It would be one interesting evening.

Hermione arrived promptly at six o'clock. Malfoy had told her to arrive prior to dinner. He was going to order take-out. Mentally cursing herself, she performed the correct incantations and the bell rang. A moment later, he appeared and let her inside.

The sun was still shining on the horizon. Hermione gazed out of the large windows and saw the last flickers of sun sink into the earth. Night time wasn't always kind, she remembered. She tended to let her inhibitions down once the sun set.

She shook herself, and turned back to Malfoy.

He had walked into the kitchen. After dropping her things down on the sofa and absently petting the cat, she followed him into the kitchen. Once again, he poured two glasses of wine and handed her one of them.

"I… I…. I don't know if I should," Hermione said, placing the glass on the counter. She had an urge to slam the entire contents down her throat.

Malfoy shrugged and walked into the dining area. Not looking at her, he said, "It might help you relax a bit."

How had he known that she was wound up so tight? She rolled her eyes and picked up the glass. Gulping down a larger-than-normal portion, she said, "Who says I need to relax?"

Malfoy laughed. "Nobody."

He began to pull out the notes for History of Healing. "Do you just want to start where we left off?"

Hermione nodded and sat down. "That sounds good." She pulled out her own notes and lay them on the table. She criss-crossed her legs and sat on the floor. Malfoy joined her there, sitting directly across from her. The cat climbed into her lap and stayed there, content while she stroked his back.

For several hours, they studied amicably together. Malfoy ordered pizza, and they took a break to gorge themselves. They stayed in the living room, their plates on the coffee table. Smachimo sniffed the air and rubbed against Malfoy's knee, begging him for a bite. Hermione watched as Malfoy cut up bits of cheese and placed them in his hand. The cat licked them up greedily. Hermione smiled to herself; Malfoy spoiled the animal abominably.

Midway through the meal, Malfoy started telling her dirty jokes, trying to make her blush. He succeeded.

"What do you know about witch's tits?" teased Hermione, after a particularly bawdy joke. She couldn't quite look him in the eye. She took a sip of her wine. She had taken Malfoy's advice and had poured another glass.

"I've seen a few pairs," he said, smirking, waiting for her reaction.

Her head shot up; her eyes rose to meet his. They were wide with shock. "How many?" she blurted out. She clapped her hand over her mouth and looked away. "You don't have to answer that."

Malfoy laughed. "You were pretty keen on showing me yours the other day."

Hermione's hand flew to her chest, as if to cover that part of her anatomy. "What?!" she cried. She set the wine down before she spilled it.

"In that orange sweater that you had on. With that scarf that I had bought you. And that necklace, placed strategically so that it rested right between your breasts." He leaned back, his eyebrows raised, an appraising look on his face. He had called her out.

They stared at each other for a moment. Hermione's heart was beating rapidly. Was he hitting on her? Was she enjoying it? Is that why she felt so damn uncomfortable? Hermione broke the gaze first, completely distracted. Her movements felt awkward as she gathered up her plate and wine glass. Unconsciously, she began to bite her bottom lip.

"We should probably get back to studying," she stated, avoiding his gaze. She cleared the table and brought the dishes into the kitchen. Setting them in the sink, she turned around to find Malfoy directly behind her. He set his own glass down on the counter and placed his hands on either side of her on the counter. He leaned over her, and she leaned back, avoiding his advance. She suddenly realized that he wasn't looking at her face. He was looking… at her breasts!

"Malfoy!" she screeched, shoving him away from her. Her reaction to his outrageous behavior seemed to break the uncomfortable silence. He fended her playful blows with ease and laughed at her.

"Oh, shut up!" she said, but without malice. She walked out of the kitchen, the tension between them gone.

They studied for another hour before Hermione decided it was time to leave. She did so reluctantly. She didn't want to spend more time than necessary with Malfoy, did she? That thought propelled her to quicken her pace. She shoved the last of her notes in her bag, and headed for the door. She could feel Draco directly behind her.

Her hand was on the door knob when Draco spoke. "I think you forgot something."

She whirled around, confused, glancing at the coffee table where they had just spent the last three hours. "What?"

"I think you forgot this." Draco reached out his hand and cupped her cheek with his palm. He leaned down and softly pressed his lips against hers. She stilled for a moment, and then slowly gave herself to the kiss, closing her eyes.

A loud thump sounded as her bag dropped from her shoulder to the floor. Her hands found their way to his hair, and she twirled her fingers in the silky strands. She opened her mouth and felt his tongue stroke hers, exploring her mouth. He angled his head slightly for better access and became more persistent.

Hermione pulled him closer and pressed against him. He pushed her gently into the wall. Hermione felt his hand slide down her neck, across her collarbone, over her shoulder and down her back. She moaned softly at the feel of his hand caressing her bare skin. She tilted her chin upwards and let his mouth trail kisses along her jaw, down her throat.

"Go with me on Saturday to a Quidditch game," he murmured, his breath tickling her skin.

Hermione's eyes fluttered. "Wha…?" His ministrations were distracting her thoroughly.

He pulled back slightly. "Quidditch. Big game. You, me, top box."

Hermione started to come to her senses. She was leaning against the wall, and Malfoy was so close that she could feel every inch of his body against hers. _Every_ inch. "Qu… qu…quidditch?"

He slid his hand down her arm and grasped hers with his own. He brought her hand to his mouth. Turning it over, he kissed her palm, his tongue creating circular patterns on her upturned hand. "Yes, quidditch. I'll pick up at one o'clock in front of your dorm. Wear something warm."

He released her. She reached down to scoop up her bag and turned to open the door.

"Okay," she said quietly. "I'll be there." She flung herself out of the flat without glancing back. She missed Draco's smile of satisfaction.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any characters associated with the Harry Potter books, which are written by JK Rowling.

**Author's Note**: You guys are awesome! Thanks so much for continuously reviewing. I like knowing that people are actually reading this stuff!

**Chapter 6**

Hermione felt a rush of wind rustle her hair as a Chaser from the Falmouth Falcons flew by on his broom, inches above their heads. A thrill of excitement shot up her spine and she squealed.

She could barely understand the announcer's voice as it rapidly spewed off the details of the fast-paced game.

"Carlisle passes the quaffle to Rogers. Rogers to Kilpatrick and back again to Carlisle. Rogers, Kilpatrick and Carlisle all to the west end of the field. Carlisle passes it to Rogers and Rogers shoots for a goal. And the Arrow's keeper Greenfield saves it. Throws it to Arrow Chaser McGoldrick. McGoldrick to Walker to Cleaver and back to McGoldrick…" The voice continued to rattle off each play as it happened. Hermione couldn't even keep track of who had the quaffle at the current moment.

She tore her eyes from the quaffle and glanced upwards at the two Seekers hovering in the middle of the field. Each was alert, and awake, ready for action at the first sign of the snitch.

They had arrived in plenty of time for the start of the match. Instead of climbing the dozens of flights of stairs to one of the top boxes, they had apparated. It saved time and energy.

Hermione, despite her lack of continuous enthusiasm for the sport, was excited to attend. She hadn't been to a live professional quidditch match since the World Cup five years ago. The atmosphere was intense. She could feel the excitement everywhere. She watched the action standing up, leaning against a railing that was chest-high. It was a little scary, yet thrilling, to look down at the field below them. All of the people and players looked like tiny ants crawling around amongst a patch of grass. She giggled.

Draco had tentatively slid his arms around her waist. When she hadn't protested, he pressed his body against hers. She snuggled into his warmth. Despite the three layers she had worn, it was still cold outside.

After a time, they apparated down to the sixth level, where restrooms and food stands littered the hallway surrounding the pitch. Draco stood in line for butterbeers while Hermione ran to the restroom.

She had finished taking care of her needs and was washing her hands at the sink when she heard a familiar voice.

"Hermione?" the girl said, curiously.

Drying her hands, Hermione looked up and into the familiar freckled face of Ginny Weasley. Her bright red hair swung down her back and her green eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Gin!" cried Hermione, excitedly. She embraced her friend in a tight hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Harry got tickets at the last minute, and we decided to go!" Ginny explained, grinning. They pulled away from each other. "What about you? Who are you here with? I mean, with all your schoolwork, I would have expected you to be studying every minute of the day that you weren't in class."

They walked out of the loo together, chatting animatedly. "Well, um…" Hermione answered nervously, looking around for her date. "It's kind of a strange situation. You see…"

"Hermione!" Harry Potter, her best friend, flung himself on her in a huge bear hug.

"Harry!" squealed Hermione, her voice muffled. She squeezed him back. Ginny stood there, grinning, delighted to see Harry smiling.

Harry pulled away from her, but didn't release her. His eyes traveled up and down her form, scrutinizing her. "It is you, isn't it? I mean, I've been trying to get you out of that university for two months, and I haven't been able to. Who convinced you to spend a Saturday afternoon having fun?" His expression suddenly changed as he caught sight of something, or someone, who displeased him.

Hermione felt a tap on her shoulder and whirled around. Draco stood there, two butterbeers in his hands.

"Let's go," commanded Draco, ignoring Hermione's new companions.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry ground out, reaching for his wand which was tucked into his back pocket. Ginny stood silently, scrutinizing Draco closely.

Hermione reached out for a butterbeer. Draco released it and glared at Harry. Hermione explained patiently, "No, I'm talking to my friends. We haven't seen each other in a while. I'll be ready in a second." She turned away from him and took a sip of her butterbeer.

"Granger," he muttered threateningly.

Annoyed, Hermione faced him again, one hand on her hip. "You knew I was friends with Harry. You knew that we would see him eventually. Stop being an arsehole." She glared at him, daring him to challenge her.

Harry and Ginny watched the whole exchange carefully. Ginny began to grin; Harry wasn't so amused. He had finally caught on to what was happening.

"You came with _him_?" Harry asked, pointing his wand at Draco but talking directly to Hermione.

Hermione sighed, exasperated. "Harry, be civil. It's not that hard to do. Yes, I came here with Draco." Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Draco had moved to stand next to her. He reached out to hold her hand, and she let him, enjoying the feeling of his fingers curling around her own.

"_Draco_? You're calling him Draco now? Does he call you _Hermione_?" asked Harry incredulously. He had lowered his wand slightly and his head was now bouncing back and forth between the two of them.

Ginny finally decided to take control of the situation. She reached out to push Harry's wand away from Draco's chest. "Harry, get a grip. We haven't seen Hermione in two months. Enjoy her company; ignore Malfoy."

Draco shot Ginny a glare. She returned it with an innocent grin.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my wayward son." A sarcastic drawl suddenly interrupted their argument. The group turned to find Lucius Malfoy strolling nonchalantly by them. Hermione heard Draco groan. The situation needed only his presence to make it worse.

Lucius continued, "I was wondering who had taken the private box this afternoon. I was informed upon my arrival that someone had already used those tickets." He raked his gaze over Harry, Ginny and Hermione, a sneer on his face the entire time. He glanced down to see Draco and Hermione's hands intertwined, and a surprised look crossed his face for a moment.

Lucius, ignoring the others, stared at his son, who had grown so much that he was now eye level with his father. "Really, Draco. First you insist on attending that trashy school, then you run off and buy your own flat. But, I never thought you'd stoop so low as to hang around these people." He sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose. He was clearly displeased with his son's companions. "I mean, at least Potter and Weasley are from magic families. But, to be hanging around mudbloods… you are tarnishing the Malfoy name as we speak."

"Don't call her that!" Draco had whipped out his wand and was pointing it at his father's throat before anyone else had a chance to grab their wands. Harry, Ginny, and Hermione stood still, shocked at his behavior.

Lucius let out a low, sinister chuckle and folded his hands in front of him. "Drop that wand, boy, or I'll show you things you've never seen before," he threatened quietly.

"I highly doubt that," said Malfoy. "You _have_ taught me all you know, remember?"

That comment wiped the snide expression off of the older man's face. "You better watch your back. Son or no son." With one last derogatory glare at the group, he swiveled on his heel and walked away.

Draco sighed and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said to Hermione. Harry and Ginny stood there with slackened jaws.

Dazed, Hermione licked her lips and asked, "For what?"

Draco dropped his wand hand to his side and raked a hand through his hair. Looking away from her, he replied, "For how he treated you."

"Why should you be sorry? You didn't call me anything impolite," said Hermione.

Draco dropped his gaze to the ground. He ran a hand through his blond hair, nervously, and held both of her hands tightly. "I have before," he said in a low voice. Hermione barely heard him. Having admitted his wrong-doings, he stared at her. It was as close to an apology as he had ever said to her.

They held each other's eyes for a long moment, completely unaware of their surroundings. Someone cleared her throat, and they jumped apart, remembering that they were not alone.

Harry was looking at them with the strangest expression on his face, but Ginny was grinning from ear to ear. Ginny said, "We're going to get back to the game." She leaned over and kissed Hermione on the cheek in farewell. She nodded at Malfoy while Harry whispered something in Hermione's ear.

Ginny dragged her boyfriend away from them, harping on Harry. "Don't worry. Did you _see_ the way he was looking at her?"

"_That's_ what's making me worry!" cried Harry. They walked away, blending in with the crowd.

Draco spoke up. "What did he say to you? Trying to warn you off of me, was he?"

Hermione giggled and turned a slight shade of pink. "No. He gave me a hex to use, in case you got naughty." She took a swig from her butterbeer. "I think we should get a case of this and go back to your place. What do you think?"

The sounds of the crowd and of the match reached their ears. Draco nodded. "I'm not really in the mood to stick around either. Let's go."

They went back to Draco's flat, a case of butterbeer acquired along the way. Together, they made dinner and watched a movie on Draco's flat screen TV. Hermione's thoughts whirled around her head the entire evening.

Draco Malfoy had defended her,_ her_. Against his father. He hadn't even hesitated. He had been quieter than normal that night, lost in his own thoughts, since they had returned. He was moody, similar to how he had acted when they had fought earlier that week. He seemed to act like this whenever events didn't go as he planned them.

They sat on the couch, cuddled up with each other, in the dark. The credits to the movie were rolling, and Hermione felt relaxed and safe. Her brain had quieted down a bit. She was slowly coming to accept that she liked Draco Malfoy. She really liked him. As more than an acquaintance, more than a friend. Kind of like a boyfriend.

"I should probably go," she announced reluctantly. She didn't move from her position.

"Okay," he said. But his response was to tighten his hold on her. They were laying on the couch together, Hermione in between his legs, halfway in his lap. He reached over and turned her head up to his. Their lips met. It felt like an electrical current shot through them.

Hermione's breathing hitched and she pulled herself up to get closer to him. She slid her hands under his shirt, enjoying the ripple of muscle across his lean stomach. He returned the favor, gently tugging up her blouse. All the while, they continued to kiss and stroke each other, learning each other's bodies. She was lost in the sensation as his fingers quickly undid the long line of buttons on her shirt.

Suddenly she became aware that his fingers were creeping towards the clasp of her bra. They were fumbling with the hook. She came to her senses and sat up abruptly. He fell away from her in surprise.

"I… I … I have to go," she stuttered, pulling her blouse back into place and frantically redoing the buttons. She hastily pushed her hair out of her eyes as she struggled with the last two. She pushed herself off the couch and strode into the dining room without even a glance at Draco.

She heard him follow her, his long legs catching up to hers quickly.

"Hermione," he said quietly.

"What?" she muttered, aware that she was very close to tears and not even sure why. She had sat down on one of the chairs and was shoving her tennis shoe on to her foot.

"Hermione," he said more forcefully. He had sat down next to her on another chair. He grasped her shoulders and forced her to look at him. She paused, afraid to meet his eyes. Gently he wrapped his hands around her head, framing her face, pulling her gaze up to his.

"We don't have to do anything that you don't want to do," Draco said quietly, his eyes searching her own.

Hermione swallowed and she wet her lips with her tongue. She didn't say anything.

"I'm not going to make you do anything that will make you uncomfortable, okay?" said Draco.

Hermione nodded slowly. "Okay," she whispered. He smiled slightly, leaned down, and gave her a chaste kiss on her lips. It was such a contrast to the hot and heavy contact of just a few minutes before that she almost burst into tears. He seemed to sense the emotional turmoil surging through her because he released her and stood up.

Hermione finished putting on her shoes. When she looked up, she was surprised to find that Draco was wearing his coat and shoes.

"You don't have to see me home," she said, pushing her arm through the sleeve of her coat.

He ignored her, and opened up the door for her to walk through. The walk back to the girls' dorms was filled with an uncomfortable silence.

Feeling that she had to say something before she left, Hermione stopped on the sidewalk outside her dorm. "I'm sorry," she blurted out.

"For what?" asked Draco, surprised.

"For starting, and then stopping," she explained, embarrassed to go into any further detail about their earlier exchange of bodily fluids.

Draco let out a bark of laughter. He walked over to her and crushed her to him in an enormous bear hug. "You, Hermione Granger, are a tease," he said, still chuckling. He lowered his voice. "And I love it."

Hermione felt the tips of her ears burn and knew that her entire face was as red as a tomato. He released her, and she whispered, "I'll see you tomorrow." She walked as quickly to the dorm as she could without being completely undignified. She could feel Draco's eyes on her the whole way up to the door.

Once she got inside, she slowed down and walked to her dorm room in a daze. She was surprised to find Selena in the room, laying on the bed, reading a magazine and listening to the radio.

"How was the match?" asked Selena, glancing over at her roommate. When Hermione didn't move, Selena sat up and eyed her shrewdly. "What happened to you?"

For the umpteenth time that evening, Hermione felt her face flare. "I think I'm dating Draco Malfoy."

Selena screamed in excitement. She grinned. "Oh, I want details," she demanded and patted the bed beside her.

With a grin, Hermione shrugged off her coat and sat. "I figured that you would." And she sat down and told Selena about her day. Or, most of it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any characters associated with the Harry Potter books, which are written by JK Rowling.

**IMPORTANT Author's Note**: If you have been reading this fic since its inception, please note that I made several assumptions about the ages of the characters. Since the beginning of the fic begins in late summer, Hermione will have turned twenty in September, leaving Malfoy at age 19. This would mean this fic is set one year after Book 7. Also, in the scene with the girls in the bathroom in the second chapter, I have edited the paragraph in which Hermione mentions Draco called her mudblood from second through seventh year at Hogwarts. It now reads that he tortured her from second through sixth year. You'll see why….

****

Chapter 7

Hermione received a message the following morning via a beautiful eagle owl. It tapped on the window of their dorm room around 9 a.m., and Hermione was glad that Selena had already risen and left for breakfast.

_Hermione,_

_Watch your back around campus. Lucius paid me a visit this morning (woke me up out of a dead sleep with a torrent of water) to "discuss" my new friends. I forgot to put the wards back up on my flat after I returned last night. He didn't seem too pleased about my choice of company. I don't want to put too much more in a letter. Meet me at the muggle café on fourth street at nnon. We'll do lunch._

_Draco_

_P.S. Thanks for yesterday. Do you think we could try that "starting" thing again? Maybe without the "stopping"?_

Hermione let out an indignant squeak. The little worm! To even bring up "starting" and "stopping". Why, he ought to….! She shook her head to reassemble her thoughts. That part of the note wasn't important. It was the fact that Lucius was now aware that she and Draco were dating. Wait, were they dating? She wasn't sure.

She fell back on the covers of her newly made bed, wrinkling the comforter. Blowing a stray curl out of her eyes, she scanned the note again.

She was distracted by another tap, tap, tap at her window. She glanced up and realized that another snow-white owl was waiting patiently for its delivery. Hermione popped up and headed over to the window.

"Hedwig!" she cried, stroking Harry's owl. "You've got a letter for me?" She plied the note away from her leg. Pulling an owl treat from a drawer in her desk, she fed Hedwig before letting her back out the window.

Curiously, she opened up the second letter.

_Hermione,_

_Are you crazy? Don't you know what Malfoy can do to you? Both father and son? I really think you ought to consider your choices. Med school seems to have addled your brains. Ginny seems to think that I'm completely off on this one, but I am staunchly refusing to believe that Malfoy has changed so much that you are actually remaining in his company for as long as you seem to be. I think you are under the Imperius curse! I mean, really, Hermione……._

_Harry_

Hermione chuckled at her friend's letter. Sometimes she felt as if she were under the Imperius curse. Three months ago, if someone had said to her that she would be acting even remotely congenial with Draco Malfoy, she would have laughed in their faces. Right now, she couldn't stop thinking about him. It had to do with the way he kissed her. She knew it!

Without any warning, another owl appeared at her window. Puzzled, Hermione let it in. The tawny owl hopped onto her desk and held out its leg. Hermione unwrapped the letter from its leg and gave it an owl treat before it flew off once again.

Unraveling the letter, she read:

_Hermione! _

_I am so sorry that Harry is being such a jerk! Please tell my condescending boyfriend where to shove it, if you feel that it is necessary. _

_It was so good to see you yesterday. We need to do a girls' night and chat._

_Miss you much and love you lots,_

_Gin_

Hermione found her way to the café just before noon. Deciding to hold off on ordering lunch, she weaved her way between the tables to find a seat by the window. She had removed her coat and settled down in a chair when she heard a familiar voice.

"Hermione!"

She looked up to find Harry heading towards her. She enveloped him in a hug. "This is a surprise, Harry. What are you doing on this side of town?" She released him, shoved a strand of hair behind her ear, and placed her hands on her hips. She grinned madly. "Seeing you twice in one weekend is a treat."

Harry seemed confused. "What do you mean?" he asked, straightening his glasses. "You sent me a letter, telling me to meet you here for lunch."

Hermione's expression matched Harry's. "I didn't send you a letter. I got a letter from …"

"I sent you the letter, Potter." A third person joined the duo. Harry whirled around.

"Malfoy? What do you mean?" Harry looked ready to hex Malfoy, but he knew that he was in a public place.

Draco ignored Harry's agitation. He pulled off his own jacket and threw it casually onto the back of a chair. "Care to sit?" he asked congenially, gesturing towards the third chair.

Harry remained standing, his features screwed up in a loathsome expression, his arms crossed. "I'll stand. What is the meaning of this?"

Hermione was annoyed. Why had Malfoy brought Harry here?

Draco dropped his casual air. "Look, Potter. I knew that you wouldn't meet _me_ here, but I knew there was a fair chance you'd meet your best friend here. So I sent the letter addressed from Hermione."

"Draco!" Hermione admonished. She rolled her eyes and sat down. She had a feeling that she knew where this was going. "Come on, Harry. Sit down. You might as well enjoy lunch. Malfoy _is _buying, you know." She glared meaningfully at her date.

Disgruntled, Harry took the only remaining chair. "Fine."

The table was pushed up against a window, and Hermione sat between the boys. She had a sudden realization that she was about to play mediator between them. She was going to kill Draco when she got a chance. This wasn't exactly how she had planned to spend her Sunday lunch.

A waitress interrupted them briefly to take their order. Hermione, having not eaten a thing all day, ordered a sandwich and a cola. Draco ordered soup and Harry ordered water. It didn't look good.

"Look, I wanted to warn you," Draco began. "Lucius showed up this morning. Early this morning. Around six, and woke me up quite unpleasantly."

"How?" asked Hermione.

"The bastard threw a glass of cold water on me," he muttered, watching his fingers fiddle with the salt shaker on the table.

Hermione snorted and Harry tried to suppress his own grin.

"Laugh if you want about that, because the rest isn't pretty," said Draco, glancing up at the both of them. He sighed. "He threatened to harm Hermione and then went into detail about what he would like to do with me. He was well into his tirade when he got to Potter and Weasley."

He set the salt shaker down and picked up the pepper shaker, trying to act casual. "He knows that I've been studying with Hermoine. He's not stupid. He's warped, twisted and evil, but he's not stupid. He brought it up, several times in fact. I tried to convince him that it was necessary to study together, that several teachers had assigned us as partners, but he didn't seem to buy it." Draco leaned both his elbows on the table and continued in a hushed voice. "I don't know what he is going to do, if anything. His powers are limited, especially since he doesn't have access to his 'personal friend'. It was broken in half when he received his sentence after the war."

Harry looked so angry, Hermione expected to see steam coming out of his ears.

"You know, Malfoy, if you had just stayed away from Hermione, none of this would be happening," Harry growled lowly. "Everything was over, and now you're stirring things up again. Like father, like son."

Draco's face reddened and he rose halfway out of his chair. "Don't you ever compare me to my father, Potter. Don't you dare." He leaned towards Harry's face.

Harry met Draco's stance equally. "Once a Malfoy, always a Malfoy, I say. After what I saw on the tower, the night Dumbledore died, I'll always believe it. Where did you run to after that night, _Draco?_"

"None of your damned business, Potter," Malfoy said levelly.

"Harry! Draco! Stop! You're causing a scene," hissed Hermione, pulled on both of their arms. Reluctantly, they both sat down again.

Harry turned to his friend. "Don't you want to know, Hermione? Where he's been the past few years? Or has he already told you and that's why you are taking this so well."

"That is my business and Draco's business, not yours," replied Hermione quietly.

Harry shot her a sour look, but didn't bring up the subject again. The waitress arrived with their food, and left the check on the table.

"Can we eat lunch in peace, please?" Hermione asked, glaring at her two companions.

Harry eyed Malfoy as he began to eat his soup. "Why did you warn me? Why not Ginny?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"I knew that you'd impress upon Weasley the importance of this. I wasn't sure if you would put any stock in what Weasley had to say." Draco paused. "You don't understand. My father is capable of more things than the Ministry realizes. His knowledge of the Dark Arts is extensive and he has the ability to perform certain tasks without any help."

"And I'm sure that he passed all of his knowledge onto you, didn't he, Malfoy? Didn't you have private lessons during the summer with your Auntie Bella? Does that tattoo of yours still sting?" Harry drawled, giving Malfoy's left arm a significant look.

Before Draco could react, Hermione slammed her palm down on the table. "Harry James Potter! Stop it! You're my best friend, and I love you, but you are stepping over the line." Several heads turned to see what was creating the disruption of their lunch. Hermione lowered her voice. "Draco never killed Dumbledore. You know that and I know that. As far as I'm aware, you've killed more people than Malfoy has. You've committed crimes just as heinous as I am sure he has.

"He did you the courtesy of letting you know what Lucius has been saying and what he may or may not be planning. He warned you. Now, I want to eat my sandwich without any more disruptions, do you understand?" Her brown eyes glittered as she dared her best friend to open his mouth.

Harry just shook his head. "Really, Hermione, I thought you'd pick better friends in university. I'm disappointed." Abruptly, without a backward glance, he stood and stormed out of the restaurant.

Hermione's eyes glittered with tears of frustration. "Stupid, stupid," she muttered to herself. She buried her face in her hands. "Well, that didn't go very well."

"I don't know," pondered Draco. Hermione's head rose and their eyes met. "I thought it went better than I expected." He pushed his soup away and gestured towards Hermione's forgotten sandwich. "Are you going to finish that?"

Hermione shook her head, forlornly. "I'm not hungry anymore."

"Then let's get out of here," Draco stated. They stood up. Draco pulled a few notes out of his pocket and paid the bill. After pulling on their coats, Draco took her hand firmly in his and led her out of the restaurant.

Later that night, they were sitting in Draco's flat, studying. Draco had been quiet all day, brooding over something. After the conversation, er… yelling match, with Harry, Hermione didn't blame him. Harry had made some pretty nasty insinuations, and Hermione wasn't sure what to believe about Draco.

When they began studying at three o'clock, he had merely been moody. By five o'clock, his mind seemed on another planet and any comment outside the ordinary had been icily blasted within a few short seconds. Their light banter was no more, at least for that night. By seven, Hermione was ready to leave. And never come back.

"Well, aren't you going to ask?" Draco finally said, throwing his Anatomy book on the floor.

Hermione rolled her eyes heavenward before setting her own textbook in her lap. "Ask what exactly?"

"If what Potter said was true. If I know everything my father knew. If I have the Dark Mark. Where I was for the past two years." His eyes dared her to voice the thoughts which had weighed on her own mind all day.

She treaded lightly. She shrugged, half-heartedly. "I figured you'd tell me, if you wanted to, when you wanted to." She pretended to start reading again.

Her book was swept out of her lap and into Malfoy's hands. He threw her book onto the floor on top of his. He glared at her.

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Don't you dare take your anger for Harry out on me." She unfolded her legs, spreading them along the couch and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Don't even pretend that you were reading that," he said disgusted. He curled his own legs up to his chest and leaned an elbow on the arm of the sofa. He gnawed on his index finger, staring unseeing at the blank TV screen.

Hermione waited.

"I guess you want to know where I've been. What happened. You know, with Dumbledore and everything." He refused to look at her. He seemed to have entered his own world.

Hermione stayed silent and still.

Draco sighed. "I guess it all started back in sixth year. My father had been arrested and thrown into Azkaban. I was pulled into the circle by Aunt Bella. My mother was a wreck. She could barely deal with my father as the Dark Lord's servant. She was in hysterics about me entering the circle, taking the mark.

"I was given a mission, and only with the completion of that mission would I be worthy enough to join Voldemort's ranks." Draco turned to look at Hermione. "Despite what Potter believes, I never received the Dark Mark. I was very close, but it never happened."

He ran a hand through his hair and plunged on. "I entered Sixth Year eagerly anticipating my goal, so smug, so sure of my triumph. I was going to get one over on Potter, and get rid of Dumbledore, who favored Potter above everyone else." He stood and began to pace back and forth, continuing.

"Hermione, you never understood what the rest of us felt like. You were in too deep with Potter. The rest of us, all of us students, felt as if every teacher in that school, minus Snape of course, believed Potter was the one and the only, the greatest wizard of all time. I could have surpassed his grades in every single class and no one ever would have cared or commented. We all lived in his shadow, whether he was breaking rules or competing in tournaments that he shouldn't have been competing in, the rest of us were always secondary. Weasley felt it; maybe you didn't as much. You bested all of us at grades; you had your own status amongst your peers. Potter was everyone's favorite and it wasn't fun for the rest of us.

"So, what did I do? Well, if he was the most popular wizard and had already chosen his friends, then I was going to be his enemy. I was determined to be noticed, by our peers, by our teachers, by the people that mattered. And, I wanted my father's attention. So I emulated my father, just like any boy would."

He stopped pacing and sat down on the coffee table, perched on the edge. His elbows rested on his knees, one arm relaxing down, the other hand holding his chin up. He couldn't meet her eyes. "When the Dark Lord gave me my mission, I was ecstatic. Here was my chance to prove to my father, the Dark Lord, and all of my teachers that I was just as brilliant as Harry Potter. I concocted several plans, but none of them really worked. When I figured out that the Vanishing Cabinets at Hogwarts and at Borgin and Burkes were linked, I did everything possible to repair the one at Hogwarts. By November, I started to realize the gravity of the situation. The cabinets were proving harder to fix than I thought, and I had an inkling that Dumbledore knew of my mission. How, I do not know.

"Every week, I would receive a reminder from my master telling me of my duty to him, to his cause. He began to hint that this mission would be my last if I did not succeed. And that the Malfoys would no longer be welcome in his fold. That there would be no more Malfoys left to be in his fold. The mission became the focus of my life. I didn't care about besting Potter at Quidditch; I didn't care about eating or drinking. I was petrified that the Dark Lord would show up at the school at any moment and kill me on sight. I was petrified that he would kill my mother because of his frustration towards me. I never knew that Snape had performed an Unbreakable Vow with her. I had no idea that in the end, Snape would be able to perform the curse that I, in the end, could not perform." His voice broke.

He swallowed and resolutely continued his tale. "After what happened in the tower, I ran. I ran so hard and so fast, past all of the commotion, to the gates. Just outside the gates, I apparated. I apparated to a manor house that my parents own. My mother was there, waiting for me. She was crying, sobbing, hugging me tightly. She asked me if I had completed my mission. I… I couldn't tell her that I had failed. But, she knew. Oh, she knew. And, I think a small part of her was relieved. I wasn't a killer. Her son wasn't a killer. I wasn't like Lucius. I had a little more of her in me than she had realized." He smiled slightly.

"She told me to leave, to hide, to disappear. And not to come back until I knew that the Dark Lord was gone. I… I think that she knew. She knew in the end, Harry would succeed in his own mission. All the while, all of his other followers believed the Dark Lord was gathering his strength. But, she knew. I don't know how." He was silent for a moment, then shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts.

"She gave me a pouch of galleons and a set of muggle clothing. She changed my hair for me and my eye color and sent me off. She told me to go to the ends of the earth, if necessary. She told me not to get caught. I traveled to France, then worked my way across Europe and the Middle East. I spent some time in Japan and the Philippines and then in the Americas. I kept on the move, never using magic, acting like a muggle.

"I worked as a deckhand on an Alaskan fishing boat. I bartered in the stalls in India. I saw a lot and learned a lot. And, I spent a lot of time thinking. Thinking about what I wanted from my life, and if I had the ability to do it over again, would I? Would I have killed Dumbledore? Could I have killed him after experiencing so many things? Did I want to? I even wondered what Potter thought of me, isn't that bizarre?" He paused and said wryly, "I spent a handful of days wondering what my life would have been like if I had actually been friends with Harry Potter. If he knew that, in the end, I hadn't had the guts to finish what I had set out to do. I even prayed that Harry would be able to kill the Dark Lord, to accomplish something that I had been too cowardly to do. To stand up to the Dark Lord and destroy him. And, I admitted, to myself at least, that Harry was much more worthy of everyone's praise than I would ever be." He seemed to have folded into himself. Hermione didn't even think he was seeing her, or the flat, or the window to the outside. He was re-examining his own soul all over again.

"After sixteen months, I got word through a wizarding source that the Dark Lord was gone. Was dead. The impossible had been possible. A crazy story of horcruxes and time travel had circled the globe and found me. I was in Chicago, Illinois at the time, in a sleezy club in the Gold Coast. I was stunned. I could go home. I waited a few more months before deciding to return to England.

"My mother greeted me with open arms. I hadn't seen or heard from her in over a year and a half. I had become a man, with my own thoughts and my own morals and values. I was no longer my father's son, nor would I ever be again.

"I had to confess my actions to the ministry. My sentence was so much lighter than I deserved. In the end, Snape was a blessing. I had never actually murdered anyone, and so I only got probation. I petitioned Hogwarts to allow me to take my NEWTS with the current class of Hogwarts and applied to the Healer's Institute. My acceptance was pending my NEWT results. I made it in, and moved out of Malfoy Manor to here. I had money in my own right, money that wasn't in my father's control. And… that's how I ended up here."

A silence fell over them. Hermione had not interrupted. It seemed like he had to let go of the poison that had filled him for so long. During his confession, his story, she had watched him with wide eyes and listened intently. She had not touched him or tried to comfort him. She had simply just been there.

Her stomach began to flutter. Her heart did a little flip, and a ball of emotion that had been born several months ago grew. And grew. Until her skin was on fire and her eyes filled with tears and a dull roaring filled her ears. Realization dawned on her. For months she had pondered and wondered and tried to define how she felt about their new relationship. And she had finely figured it out.

She had fallen head over heels in love with Draco Malfoy. And she didn't think she was going to be able to let go of him.

****

A/N: Okay, so it got a bit intense. The next couple of chapters will lighten up. I promise! Also, shout outs to my reviewers! You guys are great. I reached the "100" mark and wanted to do a little dance. I think I DID a little dance.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter. I am just an unemployed ballet dancer right now, with no money.

**Chapter 8**

The two of them sat quietly for a moment. Hermione was still soaking in all of her newfound knowledge of Draco's background, and Draco was wondering how she was going to react.

"Draco?" Hermione asked cautiously. "Why did you seek me out that first day of classes? Why did you ask me to study with you?"

His expression was one she wouldn't forget for a while. After his whole confession, this was the question she asked?

"I don't know," he replied cautiously. "You were a familiar face. Most people like the anonymity of going to a place where no one knows them or their background. I guess I had met so many new people for so long that I craved someone from Hogwarts. From home. I mean, Hogwarts had been our home for so long. I'd lived there almost half my life." He shrugged and a grin spread across his face. "And, I liked your purple knickers. It proved that you weren't the uptight little bookworm anymore. That there was more to you than I had always thought there was."

Hermione's jaw dropped and she gasped. Grabbing a pillow from the sofa, she wailed on him. Draco dodged her blows, laughing. The tension was released from the atmosphere. He rose from his spot on the table and ran down the hallway. Hermione chased after him, catching up to him with the pillow in her hand.

Midway down the hallway, Draco grabbed her around the waist, trapping her arms. He pulled her close to him and leaned against the wall. Losing her footing, she fell against him, dropping the pillow.

"Why, you little rotten…" Hermione's voice was light and breathy. She pressed her hands against his chest, and she could hear the rapid beating of his heart beneath her palm.

Draco captured her lips with his own, holding her tightly to him. It wasn't soft or light or even sensual. It spoke of desperation and hope and something else… something Hermione couldn't place.

He released her lips and bent his head so that his forehead touched hers. "Stay the night with me," he whispered. There was a soft plea behind his words. "I just want to hold you. I want company. I… I've never told anyone before."

Hermione swallowed. "Okay," she answered, unsure of how to react.

A relieved smile crossed his countenance. "Thanks," he murmured. His hands slipped down her arms. "I don't think I want to study anymore tonight. Want to watch a movie?"

Hermione nodded and they walked down the hallway to relax a bit more before bedtime. They didn't speak much more that night.

Later that night, lying in bed, Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione and squeezed her tightly to him. She lay with her back to his chest and she could feel his warm breath on the back of her neck. Smachimo curled himself in a ball at their feet, purring contentedly. She fell asleep feeling safe and secure for the first time in a long time.

**

* * *

**Three days later, Hermione received a scathing note from Harry. He clearly had not gotten over Sunday's argument. She repeatedly told herself that Harry needed time and to overlook the nasty comments he made about her character. He concluded the letter with, "When you finally realize that he is just using you, I know that you'll return to me." 

Hermione rolled her eyes and stuffed the note in a desk drawer. There wasn't a "Harry" side and a "Draco" side. Harry needed to get over his prejudices against Draco and move on with his life. Harry would apologize later to her; she would make sure of that.

The next day, Hermione received a letter from Ron, who was studying magical creatures in the Redwood Forest in California in the United States. He had been thrilled by the opportunity of the two year internship, which he had started in June of that year. She had only heard from him once since he had left.

_Dear Herms,_

_If what Harry told me is true, Malfoy has finally emerged and found you. You don't really think he's changed, do you? You're just deluded by your hormones. Don't let a good snog warp your brain. I didn't trust him at Hogwarts. I don't trust him now. Stay away from him. Don't make me have to come home to fix things._

_Ron_

She had torn that letter up and thrown it out. She was going to murder both boys before Lucius did if they weren't careful.

She had a supporter in Ginny. They went out together for a day of shopping several weeks after the Quidditch match. Wandering in Selfridges on Oxford Street, they piled their arms with dresses and jumpers and skirts and pants to bring into the dressing rooms.

"Harry will come around," said Ginny, as she pulled another pale green jumper from the rack. "It's just taking time. He and I had a long talk about you and Malfoy the other night."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I can't believe the two of you actually spent time discussing my love life." She blew an errant strand of hair out of her eyes as she pushed aside a few skirts to find her size and the color she wanted.

"Well, it's more interesting than mine right now," declared Ginny, grinning. "Once you get past the whole 'I've fallen for you' and 'Let's move in together' faze, it gets kind of boring."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up. "You're moving in together?"

Ginny nodded.

"How did your mum take it?" Hermione asked.

Ginny paused in her perusal and looked at Hermione. "How do you think she took it?"

Hermione shook her head, laughing. Ginny went back to searching through the jumpers.

"Yeah, Mum blew a gasket. She was in kittens." Ginny's voice rose two octaves as she imitated her mother. "'Ginerva Weasley, I never thought I'd see the day when one of my children moved in with a member of the opposite sex before getting married. I forbid it. You're not even twenty years old!' Then, she started wailing." Ginny sighed and gathered the clothes she had been carrying into both of her arms. "I understand where she's coming from. It's, just, I don't want to leave Harry alone in Grimmauld Place by himself. There're too many memories. She agreed, finally, but only if someone else moves in with us."

Hermione gazed at her skeptically. "So who is moving in with you both?"

They made their way into the dressing rooms and found two that were adjacent to each other.

"You'll never believe it," said Ginny. "We think Neville and Luna are both going to move in."

"Really!?" cried Hermione. She pulled on a skirt and a shirt before exiting the stall. She turned sideways to look at herself in the three-way mirror.

Ginny emerged from her own dressing room in a pretty blue dress, nodding. "Really. Luna loves the idea of venturing into London. Plus, she thinks she may have gotten a job at the Ministry. Neville's ready to move out of his grandmother's place and was looking anyway. They both jumped at the chance." She joined Hermione in front of the mirror. "Do you think this makes me look fat?"

Hermione shot her friend a look and rolled her eyes. "Ginny, you always look great in everything. Shut up." And, indeed, her friend had a petite frame and subtle curves. She carried herself very well in most clothes.

The girls returned to their respective stalls to dress in their next outfits. Ginny came out in another dress, but Hermione had changed into a sage jumper and an A-line corduroy brown skirt. They returned to the three-way mirror. No one else was in the dressing room.

"So, do you believe me when I say that I think Draco's changed and grown up?" Hermione asked, casually. She tugged on the sweater a bit.

"I think that you think that he's changed," stated Ginny, sliding her hands down her sides.

Hermione tilted her head towards her friend. "I really do believe he has. At first, I thought it as just an act, but he and I had a good talk the other night." One side of her mouth tilted upwards in the beginnings of a smile and she quickly avoided her friend's gaze. "Well, he talked and I listened. It was… enlightening, to say the least."

Hermione paused before she questioned, "Gin, how did everyone else at school view Harry? I mean, I know that they got really angry when Harry was picked to participate in the tournament, despite the fact that he was underage. And, half the school believed he was opening the Chamber of Secrets in Second Year, but on a day-to-day basis, do you think that Harry got privileges that none of the rest of us did?"

Ginny seemed to think about her question. Slowly, she replied, "I think that a lot of people felt second-best to Harry, especially the students in your year. Harry got away with a lot of stuff, and a lot of times, he was rewarded for breaking the rules because in the end, he saved the rest of us from You-Know-Who. The other kids never realized what he was going through, emotionally, I mean. Let's face it—we were kids. We don't think about other people's feelings. We're so wrapped up in our own lives."

Hermione nodded, a little surprised that Ginny's words echoed Draco's words. "How did that make you feel?"

Ginny shrugged. "I think I was so in love with him, even at that point, that it didn't bother me. I was always thinking about him and his feelings that I didn't have time to feel jealous over all the attention that he received. Why?"

Hermione half-heartedly smiled. "Nothing. Just a discussion from the other day."

Ginny let the statement slip by. She glanced one more time at her reflection before saying, "Let's go grab some lunch. I'm hungry."

They finished trying their clothes on, purchased a few and headed to Figo's, where Hermione caught up on the latest gossip about her former Hogwarts' dorm mates.

* * *

Autumn faded into winter, and with winter approaching, so were end-of-semester exams. Hermione had outlined a full study schedule for herself as well as Draco. She was shocked when he smirked at her and handed her the schedule that he had made up for her. They were so similar that they scratched them both and created a schedule together.

They had signed up for classes for the following semester, and they managed to secure three classes together. Hermione was hesitant to assume that their relationship would still be congenial at that point, but something about the way Draco looked at her made her think that they would still be getting along well.

One evening, they were absorbed in studying at Draco's flat when something caught Hermione's eye. She gazed out the window and saw soft white snow floating gently from the heavens. It was lazy and gentle as it fell, and Hermione was entranced by the sight.

"Oh!" Her breath caught in her throat. "It's snowing." She slid her text book off of her lap, and walked swiftly to the window to gaze outside.

She felt Draco approach her, and he wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her snugly to him. "It looks like it's been snowing for a while."

Hermione leaned against the glass to peer down at the ground below them. "Oh, wow. It has been." An inch of white snow had settled on the grass, and icicles had formed on some of the tree branches outside.

Draco abruptly pulled away from her. "I have an idea." He tossed her shoes and her coat to her. "Put them on." He hurried down the hallway to the guest bedroom without waiting to see if Hermione obeyed him.

Hermione did as she was told. Draco emerged once again wearing a warm coat and a knit hat, carrying a green blanket.

"Come on," he said, smiling eagerly. He headed back down the hallway, a very confused Hermione in his wake.

He reached the end of the hallway and stopped at a door. Hermione had always supposed it was a closet, and she let out a gasp when she saw the stairs leading upwards.

"It leads to the roof," Draco explained, climbing the stairs. Hermione followed him. "My mother insisted on a rooftop patio when she found out that I was moving to London. She hates being away from the country, and she believes everyone needs a garden. So, I let her change whatever she wanted up here."

Hermione gazed around as she reached the top of the stairs. A four foot wall surrounded the whole flat rooftop. Greenery filled large pots. Long, shallow planters that would fill with colorful wildflowers in the spring were separated by brick paths. Benches and large boulders were scattered around, and a trellis stood against the west side of the building. Everything was covered with a light dusting of white snow.

"This is beautiful," she declared as she stepped into the paradise before her. "I had no idea."

Draco shrugged, sticking his hands in his jeans pockets. "I haven't really brought anyone up here yet." He had laid out the blanket on a flat boulder. Reaching out to her, he said, "Come here. Lay down."

They settled themselves down on the rock. It was cold outside, but not bitter. Hermione charmed the air above them to create a transparent bubble to keep the snowflakes from hitting their faces directly. She closed her eyes and smiled. Silence filled the air, and neither spoke. They lay there for several minutes before Hermione heard a rustle.

She opened her eyes to see Draco propped up on one of his elbows looking down at her.

"You look so peaceful lying there," he observed. Leaning down, he gently pressed his lips to hers before pulling back. "I was just wondering what you were thinking about."

Hermione smiled shyly. "I was thinking about us. If anyone at Hogwarts told me that we would be friends in the near future, I would have punched them in the nose."

"Friends? That's it? We're just friends?" Draco cried, mockingly. "Do you kiss your other friends like you kiss me?"

She giggled again and hit him playfully. "Okay, we're more than friends. I guess… I guess you're my boyfriend."

Draco's mouth twisted into a smile. "Boyfriend, huh? I kind of like the sound of that." He nodded to himself. He leaned over and kissed her again before laying back down.

They stayed there for a long time together, holding hands and enjoying each other's company in silence until they got too cold to remain outside.

* * *

Classes would not end until December twenty-third, just before the holidays, but their exams were scheduled for the first week of December. This would enable them to find out if they would be able to return the following semester. Anyone with a grade point average of below 2.50 would be dismissed from the program.

They were given WWIDs—Wizard and Witch Identification Numbers. These consisted of two letters—WD if you were a wizard or WT if you were a witch—three digits for the class (they were the 132rd class to have entered the program), and two digits for the individual. For instance, Hermione's number was WT13222. These numbers were to protect the identities of those students who didn't wish everyone to know their grades.

Hermione studied more and more as the days approached. Between classes, she could be found in the Student Center buried in book or in the cafeteria reciting her notes. She became more irritable as exams approached, and even Draco left her to her own devices for the last two days prior to the week of exams.

Every evening after their exam, she wanted to rehash the answers with Draco. The first day, he grudgingly obliged. The second day, he started to get annoyed. By the third day, he cut her off immediately.

"Hermione, it's over!" he cried. "I don't feel like discussing every aspect of the exam right now. I want to go over Physiology and Anatomy one more time."

She huffed off, muttering. Draco caught the words "just like Ron" and "Hogwarts", and began to secretly sympathize with Potter and Weasley.

Finally, exams were over, and classes returned to normal. Their results were to be posted in three days time, and Hermione bit off all of her nails in anticipation. All of their results were to be posted on the bulletin board by the Charms classroom. The parchment would list their WIDDs and then all of their exam results next to it for the rest of their classmates to see.

A group of twenty or so students were surrounding the results when Hermione approached the Charms classroom on the Wednesday after exam week. She stopped, dead still, reminding herself not to get upset if her grades were not what they were at Hogwarts. She was competing with some of the brightest witches and wizards of her age.

She convinced herself to join the crowd and slowly trudged over. She heard a few squeals of pleasure and a few groans of frustration. Pushing her way through the crowd, she approached the parchment hanging on the wall. The others surrounding her grew silent, aware that Hermione was one of the top in their class.

Hermione's eyes scanned the parchment. Her fingertip rose and scanned the list of numbers representing names, starting at the bottom. Slowly, her finger and her eyes rose. Her breath hitched. Her throat caught. She swallowed tightly as she found her name. Her eyes had stopped one line before the top. She was number two in the class. Her GPA read 4.23. The wizard above her had earned a 4.25. She had been beaten by two-hundredths of a point.

Her voice wavered as she whispered, "Who is WD13267?" No one answered; they were slightly afraid of her. Louder, she demanded, "Who is WD13267?"

A masculine voice from the end of the hallway answered, "Who wants to know?"

The crowd turned to the voice. Draco Malfoy sauntered down the hallway, his book bag thrown over his shoulder, his face flushed from the cold outside.

Hermione strode purposefully towards him. "Are you WD13267?"

Draco stopped several feet away from her, taken aback by her fierce gaze and hard voice. He nodded slowly.

"You jerk!" A small female bundle hurled herself at him, playfully smacking his chest. He stumbled backwards and fell, dropping his bag; Hermione ended up on top of him, straddling him. She was pounding his chest and screaming nonsensical words.

Draco managed to understand "Number One" and "beating me" before he was grabbed by his collar and kissed senseless in front of a bunch of his classmates.

There were a few hoots and hollers before he broke the kiss. Hermione was staring down at him, breathing heavily.

"Do you mean to say that I beat you in all of our exams?" A satisfied grin spread slowly across his face.

"Not all of them," huffed Hermoine, crossing her arms over her chest and blowing a strand of curly hair out of her eyes. "In general, you… you… succeeded in obtaining a slightly… and I mean _slightly_… " She was unceremoniously shoved off Draco's lap.

Draco shoved his way to the results as Hermione picked herself up off the floor. He stared at his scores for a long moment before punching the air with his fist and letting out a "Yes!" He whirled around, picked up Hermione around the waist and spun her around. Setting her down, he gave her a deep kiss.

The other students laughed and turned back to their conversations.

"I did it." Draco grinned stupidly. He squeezed her tightly. "I beat you."

Hermoine stared up at him, excitement coursing through her. "You did." She paused. "This time."

But Draco didn't hear her. He was in a state of total bliss. He picked up his bag, grabbed Hermione's hand and dragged her into the Charms classroom.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any Harry Potter characters. If I did, I would be anticipating the proceeds from the theme park in Orlando. Yeah, not happening.

**A/N:** I am so excited! I have over 12,000 hits for this story and 158 reviews! Much thanks to those of you who continue to review. I really appreciate it.

**Chapter 9**

"I've been thinking about it, and I want to hold a party," declared Draco. They were sitting at a table during lunch with their friends. Selena and Lily squealed with glee, and Jack and Will began to converse about how many kegs would be needed.

Draco caught Hermione's eye and grinned. He had been in a great mood since the outcome of their exams. She was very happy for him, despite the fact that he had beaten her. He had been in such a state of euphoria that he had not even rubbed it in. Much.

Hermione hadn't minded. As much of a git as he was sometimes, he had earned the top grade fair and square. She could not fault him.

Draco continued, "I figured, as head of the class, it's my responsibility to hold the biggest bash of the semester. That, and I'm the only person in our class with a place of his own."

Hermione shook her head and rolled her eyes. She sipped her cola and bit into her sandwich. Draco kept making comments about being "Head of the Class" because he was trying to rile her up. It wasn't working. She couldn't feel jealous or upset. She cared too deeply for him.

"Who's invited?" asked Lily.

Draco shrugged. "I figured I'll throw out invites to the entire class."

Hermione had to speak up. "Draco, that's one hundred people! How are we going to fit them into your flat?"

"Granger, it's called 'magic'." He winked at her.

She rolled her eyes again. "Look, _Malfoy_, your flat is _not _that big."

"I'll make it bigger. With magic," Draco explained, as if he were simplifying a problem for a small child.

Hermione picked up a grape and threw it at him. He flinched as it hit him square in the forehead. "Don't be a jerk."

Nora interrupted their small spat. "Hermione, will you invite Harry Potter? I would love to meet him." She bit her bottom lip, slightly nervous.

Hermione glanced warily at Draco. "I don't know. That's up to Draco. It is his place."

Nora's eyes gleamed with excitement as she turned her attention to Draco. "Draco? Come on. Please?"

Draco stared at Hermoine. She gave him a look. One that said, _It's up to you_.

"I'll think about it," he said, looking away.

Nora squealed, stood up and ran to Draco. She flung her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. "It would make my week, my month, my year!" She released him. "Please!"

Lily spoke up. "Nora, girl, you need to relax. If the prospect of meeting Harry Potter makes you like this, I'm afraid of what will happen when you actually see him. You'll make him run in the opposite direction."

Nora returned to her seat. "I don't care," she said flippantly. She tossed her hair over her shoulder.

Draco caught Hermione's eye, and she had a feeling that their Hogwarts friends were about to learn about their relationship.

They had a row about who to invite. Hermione told Draco that if he invited Harry, he would also have to include Ginny, Neville, and Luna.

"Longbottom?" Draco cried. "Are you kidding me? I want my house intact at the end of the night!"

"Well, you shouldn't have invited one hundred people over then!" screamed Hermione. She glared at him.

"Why are you upset?" he asked heatedly. "It's not your house!"

"I know," she said. "I'm just… ugh, I don't know!" She threw up her hands in the air and turned away from him.

They were standing in the middle of Draco's flat. The cat was meowing softly, weaving his way between both of their feet, as if sensing that trouble was brewing.

"Look," he said. "If you want me to invite Lumbering Longbottom and Loony Lovegood…"

"Don't call them that," demanded Hermoine, turning back to him, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

"Fine," he said. "If you would like me to invite Longbottom and Lovegood, I will. But, I'm inviting Zabini, Parkinson, Crabbe, and Goyle."

"Oh, no," Hermione protested.

Draco nodded his head fervently. "Oh, yes."

Hermione's face scrunched up with indecision. Finally, she accepted the situation. "Fine. I'll go owl my friends. You can owl yours."

"Fine," replied Draco shortly.

"Fine," said Hermione.

Hermione walked into the kitchen to get a drink of water, and Draco plopped down on the couch, picked up the remote and flicked through the channels. They didn't speak for the rest of the night.

Draco decided to hold his bash on the last Friday of classes. Hermione had helped him to resize and redecorate his place to accommodate the amount of people that he expected. They locked the bedroom doors with a spell, and magically created another bathroom. Hermione was pleased with her handiwork.

Draco had "hired" Patrick O'Leary, another first year who had passed his first semester because Draco had been tutoring him twice a week, to man the door. Patrick had a list of every first year, and his job was to not let anyone else enter, including some of the second years who had been annoyed that the party was exclusive.

The evening was cold and windy, and the forecast called for heavy rain. Hermione hoped that it would deter some people from showing up. She still had her doubts about inviting 100 people to the party.

At nine o'clock, their healer friends arrived. By ten o'clock, fifty people had already showed up. They had already kicked one keg, and were tapping another. Jack, Will, Sam and Draco were playing quarters on the dining room table, people were dancing to the rock music blaring from the stereo, and Nora was bugging Hermione, asking her where Harry Potter was.

The furniture had been pushed away from the center of the room and lined the walls. Draco had dimmed the lights, and created a disco-ball effect with a couple of charms. A silencing spell had also been performed so that the neighbors would not be disturbed.

"He'll be here soon," Hermione shouted to her friend over the techno beat. "I promise. Remember, his girlfriend is going to be here, too!"

But, Nora was too starry-eyed to listen.

Hermione glanced at the doorway, and realized that Harry, Ginny, Neville, and Luna had just walked into the room. Smiling, she weaved her way through the throng of people to greet her friends.

Ginny spotted her first. She ran up to her friend and hugged her fiercely. Hermione turned to each of the others and hugged them as well. Neville looked around nervously, but Luna merely stared curiously at the assembled crowd. Harry was trying to keep a sullen expression on his face.

Hermione led them into the kitchen, where the second keg had just been tapped. A guy from her Common Emergencies class was doling out beers to people.

"Thanks, Craig," she said, grabbing two. "By the way, these are my friends from Hogwarts." She introduced them to him, and she noticed Craig didn't even flinch when he heard Harry's name.

It was quieter in the kitchen, so a conversation was viable.

"So, where is the pureblooded prick this evening?" Harry scowled, taking a deep gulp from his plastic cup.

Hermione glared at him. "You're drinking that prick's beer. You better play nice tonight."

"Oh, don't worry, he will," stated Ginny, glaring at her boyfriend. "If he doesn't, he's deprived of certain privileges for the next…"

"All right, all right." Harry placed his beer on the counter and threw his hands in the air. "I'll behave, if he does."

They were standing in the kitchen when the subject of their conversation strode up to them. Draco stopped short when he saw the Gryffindor group in his kitchen. He was already feeling a little buzzed from his game of quarters earlier. In short, he was feeling accommodating.

"I see your friends are here, Hermione." He swaggered up to her, put his arm around her waist, and pulled her tightly to his side. He laid a passionate kiss on his girlfriend before turning to the rest of the group.

He extended his hand out and Neville shook it warily. Draco repeated the gesture to Potter, who shook his hand reluctantly. Luna smiled at him innocently and sipped her beer. Ginny winked at him. No one spoke.

A squeal interrupted the lack of conversation a moment later. Hermione turned to see Nora and Lily approaching them boldly. She groaned inwardly.

Hermione leaned into Harry and Ginny. "These are my friends, Nora and Lily. They really wanted to meet you guys."

Nora leaned into them and stuck out her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you both!" She shook hands with them and continued, "Hermione's told us all about you, and we are so excited that you could come."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," replied Harry dryly. Ginny unobtrusively kicked him in the shin. He winced.

"We thought it was a brilliant idea for Draco to finish out the semester with this party. Especially since he has something to celebrate," explained Lily.

Neville, Luna, Harry and Ginny looked confused. "What do you mean?" asked Neville cautiously. "What's the celebration?"

"Oh, you know, his acquisition of valedictorian of the class," stated Nora. She flipped her hair over her shoulder.

Harry spit out the beer he was drinking. "What? Who's valedictorian?"

Luna answered vaguely, "I think she said that Draco was first in the class, but I find that hard to believe. Everyone knows that Hermione was the smartest student at Hogwarts."

Hermione blushed as Draco turned to face her. "You didn't tell them!" He shouted accusingly.

"Is it true?" Harry demanded to know, grabbing Hermione's elbow to get her attention.

Hermione squirmed for a moment while all of her friends stared at her. She sighed and admitted, "Fine. Yes, Draco is head of our class. He beat me." She crossed her arms and glared at Harry, daring him to say anything.

Harry stared at her for a moment before letting out a loud shout of laughter. He clutched his side as he doubled over, clearly amused by this new piece of information. "This is great. This is great!"

The whole group stared at him oddly as he continued to chortle with great amusement. Ginny started to giggle, catching onto Harry's inside joke. She punched her boyfriend lightly in the arm to get him to calm down.

When Harry finally composed himself enough to speak, he held out his hand to a bemused Draco. "Congratulations! You beat the know-it-all. I didn't think it would ever happen. I didn't think it was possible. I have to owl Ron!" He went off into a fit of laughter again. "We've been trying to knock her down a notch for years, and the fact that you finally did… well, let's just say that for the first time ever, I like you, Malfoy."

Draco shook Potter's hand, grinning broadly. He had just been accepted as a suitable companion to their friend.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It's not that funny."

"Yes, it is." Harry reached over and hugged his friend tightly. "You finally met your match."

Lily and Nora watched this whole scene with some amusement. They knew that Draco and Hermione were fiercely competitive, but they hadn't realized how much so until this evening. Apparently, there had been more to Draco's gloating than his own egotistical self.

To distract Harry from his teasing, Nora offered to get him another drink. Ginny and Harry wandered over to the keg with Nora and Lily. Luna tugged Neville onto the dance floor. Draco and Hermione had a moment to themselves, the first all night.

Draco slung his arm around Hermione's shoulders. "Blaise Zabini is wandering around here somewhere. You may want to say hello. I won't make you talk to Pansy."

"All right," agreed Hermione. "I'll go get a beer as a peace offering." She gave him a peck him on the cheek and headed for the keg again. She emerged from the crowd with two beers and began her search.

Heading into the living room, Hermione saw Blaise Zabini leaning against the window by himself, sipping a beer and casually surveying the room. She sighed. She would have to approach him. It would be rude not to.

As she approached, her mouth tilted upwards into a wry smile. A sense of arrogance and aloofness surrounded him. It had been there at Hogwarts; it remained there even after he had grown up.

"Zabini, how are you?" Hermione asked, offering him a new beer. His reserved façade shifted for a moment, revealing slight surprise at her peace offering. He accepted the beer and she settled back against the window, sipping from her own cup.

"Granger." He nodded in greeting. "Not bad. How about yourself?"

"I'm good," she responded, not letting her own guard down. Two could play at his game.

"I heard you and Malfoy have been … seeing each other," he stated, matter-of-factly.

Hermione nodded. "Yes," she replied shortly.

He seemed to be making a decision on his own. "I'm not surprised."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

He shrugged nonchalantly and threw back his beer. "I'm not surprised at all. If you think about, you and he would have gotten together a long time ago if his father were out of the picture."

"What do you mean?" Hermione turned to look at him directly, cocking her head to the side.

He paused for a moment. "Your personalities… they fit together. You're both smart and determined. You both are very competitive. But, where he is cunning and shrewd, you like to go after something blindly and with all your heart. You balance each other in that respect."

Neither spoke for a moment.

Hermione broke the silence. "Was that a compliment?"

Blaise chuckled. "Yeah."

Hermione grinned. "Have another beer. It's on me."

Zabini laughed again, and scoped the room. "Any hot single women here?"

"Of course," said Hermione, as if there were no doubt. "Draco invited the _entire_ class! We have a few friends who would fit that description." She flicked her eyes towards Nora, who was fawning all over an embarrassed Harry. Hermione could tell that Ginny, who was standing next to Harry, was almost at the end of her tether. Ginny was used to the female attention that Harry received, but after a while, she found it rather annoying.

Blaise scrutinized the chattering female. "Not bad. Can she put an intelligent sentence together?" He flung his head back to Hermione.

"I'll have you know that Nora is tenth in the class right now. She's a smart cookie, despite her little act." Hermione finished the remainder of her beer before continuing. "And I know for a fact that she's looking for some action tonight."

Blaise smiled wickedly. "Let's go get a few more beers and join Wonder Boy and his fan club."

Hermione giggled and followed Blaise to the keg. She grabbed a beer and scanned the area for her boyfriend. Her eyes found him by the hallway, in a deep conversation with Pansy Parkinson. She was about to walk over to them when she stopped short at the scene in front of her.

Hermione stood there, stunned, as she watched Pansy Parkinson lean into Draco. The girl grinned, whispering in his ear. Something seductive, she was sure. She watched as the other witch pressed her breasts against his arm, invitingly. Pansy pressed her lips to his cheek; the affection between them was palpable. She watched as Malfoy turned to her, smiling brilliantly. He took another sip from his brew, clearly enjoying the attention. Then, he looked up and his eyes connected with Hermione's.

The intimate glance seemed to wake her from her reverie. Her caramel eyes narrowed and her face flushed red. Without thinking about what she was doing, only knowing that she needed fresh air, she stormed past the living room, down the hallway, and flung the door open to the second bedroom. Opening the door that led to a balcony, she stepped outside into the pouring rain. Leaning against the railing, she breathed in the cold London air deeply. She closed her eyes, trying to erase the hurt that she felt surge through her when she saw Draco with another girl. She didn't care that it was raining, that the rain was cold; she just wanted out.

She heard a noise from inside. Irrationally, she searched for some way to escape. Silly girl, she thought, you trapped yourself into a corner. Suddenly, a ladder appeared on the side of the building, reaching towards the roof. Without thinking, Hermione began to climb, ignoring the slippery rungs.

She reached the top and scurried onto the roof. She heard a door slam open and then Malfoy called her name. She glanced down to see the top of his platinum head. He looked up and caught her staring at him.

"Hermione, get down here!" he demanded. "You're going to freeze up there. It's too cold, and it's pouring rain!"

"I'd rather be up here than down there with you!" she yelled back, leaning over the edge. "You and that little blonde vixen!"

"You don't know what you saw. Stop being an idiot. I thought you were more intelligent than that!" His clothes were becoming soaking wet in the rain.

"Fuck off, Malfoy!" She turned away from him and walked deliberately across the patio, away from him.

She heard a muttered oath and whirled around to see Malfoy's head emerging above the ladder. He wore a thunderous expression. He was clearly not happy to be there.

He caught sight of her and charged over to where she stood. She scooted away from him, out of his reaching hand. They played a game of cat-and-mouse, with Hermione hurling insults at him and Malfoy refusing to participate in her name-calling. He seemed determined to catch her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Hermione realized that he had never seemed so intent and focused on her ever before.

With a growl, he pounced on her, finally making contact. Hermione felt his long fingers wrap themselves around her upper arm, holding her still. She struggled futilely. They were both breathing harshly, perhaps from the chase, perhaps from the emotions that poured through both of them.

"Don't touch me!" she cried, wrenching her arm away from him and wrapping her arms around herself, protectively. She had backed herself against the four foot wall that surrounded the rooftop patio. Her hair hung in soaking wet curls around her face, down her back. Her blouse was completely soaked through, and her teeth were chattering. She was freezing.

"Fine!" There was hurt in his eyes as he released her. "But, you need to hear me out. I don't want Pansy. I want you."

She stood there, her expression unreadable, watching him.

"Why don't you believe me?" he asked.

She refused to answer. She just shook her head, an expression of hurt crossing her features. His hands reached towards her, as if he wanted to touch her, to hold her. He didn't seem to realize it.

"Look, you have to understand. For the first time ever in my life, there's someone more important to me than me! And, it scares the hell out of me. I have no idea what I'm doing! I sit at home, in class, in the Student Center, and no matter what I do, I start thinking about you." He pointed at her, almost accusingly. "About when I'm going to see you next. About the last time we spent together. About the way you bite your bottom lip when you're thinking and the way you laugh at my stupid jokes." He threw his hands up in the air and spun around.

"I think I'm in love with you," he blurted out.

He began to pace the walkway in front of her, running his hand through his soaked hair. "You're driving me crazy! I can't get you out of my head." He paused, staring at her, waiting for her reaction. Waiting for her rejection.

For the second time in his life, Draco Malfoy had put his emotions out on a limb and they were balanced there precariously. He was perhaps even more fragile and vulnerable now than he had ever been. A thick silence fell between them. Hermione felt the love that had been born weeks ago, when he had told her of his past, burgeoning inside of her. She knew this moment was important, probably the most important moment in her entire life.

She opened her mouth to speak, and tasted salt. She hadn't realized that she was crying. She choked a little as she said just loud enough for him to hear, "I think I'm in love with you, too."

Neither moved. Neither said a word. And then Draco took the two steps necessary to reach her and caught her lips in a bruising kiss, a kiss to mark her as his. What he could not say with words, he said with his actions, with the way he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to him. Hermione had relaxed into him, giving herself to him freely. She was no longer cold.

He broke the kiss, but not the contact. He kept his arms around her and leaned his forehead on hers, closing his eyes. A slow grin blossomed on Hermione's lips.

"Do you really love me?" she asked, shyly, quietly.

"Yes, Hermione Granger, I love you," he whispered into her ear. And then he captured her mouth again in a possessive kiss.

Finally, he pulled away from her. "We need to get downstairs. I don't want them all over my house. I would prefer to take the normal way down, if you don't mind. Not that your ladder was anything to balk at."

Hermione allowed herself to be led to the little staircase in the corner of the building. Water dripped down their bodies in rivulets, making puddles along the way. At the bottom of the staircase, Draco stopped her.

"I'm sorry about Pansy," he apologized, running a hand through his sopping wet hair. "Yes, she and I dated when we were at Hogwarts, but we don't have any feelings for each other. She was actually telling me about her fiancé. They just got engaged. She kissed me because… well… like I said, she's like my sister. We're affectionate, but there's nothing sexual about our relationship."

Hermione nodded. She was overwhelmed with so many emotions that she didn't know what to think or feel at that moment. Draco pulled her close again, kissing her temple.

"I do love you," he said quietly.

"I love you, too," she said.

They stood there for a moment before a crash alerted them both.


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER:** No, I do not own any of these characters. If I did, I wouldn't have had to wait so long to find out what happens in HP and the DH!

* * *

**Chapter 10**

The sight that greeted them was quite unexpected. The music had fallen silent and a huge crowd of party goers was surrounding something… or someone. Draco pushed through his classmates; Hermione trailed behind. He stopped abruptly and Hermione collided with him.

Draco pulled himself to his full height, crossed his arms over his chest, and sneered down at the scene in front of him. Lucius Malfoy lay spread-eagle on his back, and chains latched his wrists and ankles to the floor. His hair tumbled across his face, and he spat some of the long strands out of his mouth as he glared at the young adults surrounding him. Harry, Ginny, and Neville had their wands drawn and pointed at Lucius's throat. He knew they would not hesitate to curse or stun him.

"I tried to tell him that he couldn't come in, but he just wouldn't listen to me!" cried Patrick O'Leary from his perch by the door. "He just barged right in! I couldn't stop him."

"That's okay, Patrick," said Draco smoothly. He turned his focus onto his newest guest and drawled, "Well, well, well. I suspected you would make an appearance tonight, Father. And I was right."

Lucius struggled a bit with the chains which bound him and spat at the students closest to him. They backed away, clearly disturbed by Lucius's behavior. Harry moved in closer, his wand digging into the man's throat.

Draco stepped nearer and knelt down. "Did you really think that I would remove the wards from my flat tonight? Knowing how many people would be here? You forget, Lucius, you taught me everything that you know. I know how you think and what you are sure to do next."

"You shouldn't boast, Draco." Lucius's voice slithered out from between his lips, barely audible to the crowd. "You will regret that you did this to me, Draco Malfoy. You will suffer for your disloyalty."

Draco's lips curved upward in a sardonic grin. "No, I don't think I will. See, Father, in your narrow-minded attempt to get past the wards, you forgot one thing." Draco gestured towards two tiny lights which hovered in the corners of the room. "I, myself, am still on probation. I, too, am being watched at all times. Therefore, all of your threats and actions are currently being reported to the Ministry." Heads whipped around to stare at the miniscule informants.

"Oh, shit," said a male voice quietly. "I hope my mother doesn't see this. She'll know that I hooked up with…"

A few giggles interrupted the voice. Draco turned back to his captive. "I wouldn't be surprised if two Aurors arrived within a few minutes."

"You… you are not my son," whispered Lucius, vindictively.

Draco reeled away from the malice in his father's voice. Hermione squeezed his shoulder gently, letting him know that she was behind him, supporting his every thought and action.

"That's okay," said Draco quietly. "I don't wish to follow in such a foolish man's footsteps."

"Socializing in such an uninhibited way, consorting with mudbloods…" Lucius's voice trailed off as Draco stood, drew his own wand and pointed it at his father's chest.

"Don't you dare," whispered Draco, his eyes narrowed. "You better get used to calling her Hermione. She'll probably be family one day."

Hermione gasped; Ginny squealed; Harry dropped his wand and cried, "What!?" He scrambled to pick it up, taking a moment to compose himself.

Draco ignored them all, and continued to keep a watchful eye on his father.

"Meow!" A small, gray cat leapt into view, onto Lucius's chest.

Lucius jerked, as if to get away from the animal, but the chains held him firmly in place.

"Meow!" Smachimo cried again. The cat sniffed at the older man's face and, to Lucius's humiliation, licked his cheek once, twice, three times.

"Draco Malfoy! Get this animal off of me!" demanded Lucius. The crowd started to laugh.

The cat began to knead Lucius's chest. Smachimo walked in a circle, pressed his paws into the soft material of Lucius's cloak, and settled down for a nap. The cat gazed up at the hundred faces staring at him, yawned widely, and lowered his chin on his paws.

"I don't know. He seems to have taken a liking to you," mused Draco.

Lucius growled. There was no other word for it.

Draco sighed. "I guess it may be time for everyone to clear out." He turned to his guests, who sensed that the mood of the party had changed. Raising his voice, he announced, "Due to some unforeseen circumstances, folks, we are going to have to cut this party short."

Groans issued from over half the people in attendance.

"Come on, Draco!" Jack cried. He was standing on top of the dining room table, looking over the crowd at Draco and his father. "We still have a whole 'nother keg to kick! Just leave the old geezer on the floor. The ministry should be here shortly, to take care of him."

"Yeah!" The rest of the guests cried in agreement. They began to chatter amongst themselves. Someone flicked the music back on and turned up the volume, drowning out Lucius Malfoy's new tirade of insults issuing from his mouth.

Draco glanced at Hermione for the first time since he had greeted his father. "What do you think?"

She stared at him, still stunned by his earlier comment. "Did you really mean that?"

Draco reddened slightly. He avoided her gaze, an embarrassed smile erupting on his features. He nodded. He couldn't trust himself to speak.

Hermione let out a whoop and flew into his arms. He caught her and hugged her fiercely.

"I love you," she whispered in his ear. "I could get used to saying that."

"I could get used to hearing it," he replied, his voice low.

Draco dragged Hermione onto the dance floor and swung her around to the amusement of his guests and himself. Everyone took his lead and ignored his father's moans of protests. Except the cat. Smachimo hissed at Lucius, complaining because he was shifting his bed around.

The ministry officials arrived shortly. Lucius protested as they dragged him away. In the end, they had to perform a full body-binding curse on him just to keep him quiet. He would be sent to Azkaban for a good long time for violating his parole. Though sad to see what his father had become, Draco knew what had to be done for Hermione to be safe.

As the house emptied out, Hermione curled up with Draco in his bed and fell asleep, happier than she had been in a long time.

_**THE END**_

**A/N:** Here's the last bit. Sorry it's a little shorter than the rest, but I never intended for this fic to be as long as it ended up being. I also felt that a much lighter ending was needed. (Especially since Deathly Hallows was such a heavy book). You can imagine Hermione and Draco's wedding to your heart's content!

Thank you so much to all of my reviewers who stuck with me through this whole fic! You are a huge source of encouragement, and it really did make me want to update faster.


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